County: Sligo Site name: Springfield 1, 2 and 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004801; Ministerial Direction No.: A071
Author: Brian O'Hara
Site type: Burnt spread, pits and post-holes
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 573919m, N 816930m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.100788, -8.398760
Stage (iii) archaeological excavation was carried out at Springfield 1, 2 and 5 in advance of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Development, Co. Sligo. The site was discovered during Stage (i) archaeological testing and was assessed during Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services (Registration Number E4627).
The principal archaeological features uncovered at Springfield 1, 2 and 5 consisted of a shallow burnt spread measuring 27m x 12m which lay over a group of three pits, the largest of which may have functioned as a trough. To the south-west of the burnt spread there was a group of three isolated pits. The fill of one of these pits produced a single sherd of impressed ware of possible Middle Neolithic date.
To the south of the site was an irregular elongated pit at the base of which was a series of six pits/post-holes. One of these contained the rim sherds from an inverted urn along with cremated human bone. Other finds recovered from this complex of archaeological features consisted of two sherds of prehistoric pottery and a lithic assemblage.
Brian O'Hara, c/o IAC Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
