County: Galway Site name: Ardgaineen
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA057166---; GA057-167--- Licence number: 17E0187
Author: David J O'Connor
Site type: Ring barrow
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 538171m, N 740555m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.411499, -8.929978
Test trench investigation of two possible archaeological monuments at Ardgaineen took place between 28 April and 2 May 2017. The site had previously been subject to a geophysical survey (Earthsound 2008) and a number of anomalies were also investigated as part of the programme of investigation. Although both sites are currently listed in the SMR, only one (GA057166---) is scheduled to be included in the next revision of the RMP. A future extension of the quarry into the area of these features is currently being considered.
Main Findings
• A total of c.57.5m of test trenches were excavated across the site, located to complement the findings of a the geophysical site investigation and to answer specific research questions.
• Feature GA057-166--- (Anomaly G7 in the Geophysical Survey) was confirmed as a ring-barrow. It is visible above ground and does not appear to have been subjected to ploughing over the centuries. The mound was just 0.1m below the surface and was surrounded by a shallow enclosing ditch 2.4m wide. There was no sign of any burials within the mound or ditch but it is thought likely they will be encountered, given the state of preservation. The base fill of the ditch contained a deposit of heat-reddened soil.
• Feature GA057167--- (Anomaly G3 in the Geophysical Survey) was confirmed as an archaeological site, but it barely survives cut into the subsoil. It is an irregular shaped enclosure ditch with a ‘U’-shaped profile. It has been almost entirely ploughed out. No other associated features were observed, although small deposits of heat-reddened soil were present in places.
• Two of the peripheral anomalies identified in the geophysical survey have been shown to be deposits of heat-reddened soil. No charcoal was observed in the deposits and no other features were present.
• The old field boundaries identified in the geophysical survey (G1, G2 & G6) have been shown to survive cut into the subsoil. They were ‘U’ shaped in profile and range in width from 0.35-0.9m, surviving up to 0.1m deep in places. No sign of an adjacent bank was observed.
• A peripheral anomaly identified in the geophysical survey was shown to be a possible large pit, with large rounded stones along the edge.
• No archaeological finds were recovered from the investigations
• No archaeological samples were taken during the investigations
Impact on the Archaeology
• Ardgaineen quarry is just 17m from the archaeological sites. If it is developed in the future (as is currently under consideration), the sites will be directly impacted, removing them completely.
• If the fields remain in agricultural use, the archaeological sites will continue to be slowly eroded through deep ploughing and animal trample. With so little of GA057167--- still surviving, there is a risk that it will disappear in the near future. GA057166--- survives in much better condition but has been subject to animal trample. Any burials contained within the mound are especially at risk, given the proximity of the mound to the surface.
57 Grianan Fidh, Aikens Village, Sandyford, Dublin 18
