2018:288 - Park, Mayo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Mayo Site name: Park

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 18E0157

Author: Richard Crumlish

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 521284m, N 796233m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.909491, -9.198028

Pre-development testing of a site in Park townland in County Mayo was carried out on 9 April 2018. The development consisted of the construction of a dwelling house and garage. The testing was part of a Request for Further Information by Mayo County Council. There were no recorded monuments within or in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development site.
The site was located in the northern half of a field of pasture. In the north-west corner of the site was a crescentic or horse-shoe shaped mound which measured 15m north-south by 7.5m and up to 1m high. The mound opened to the west. What appeared to be rock outcrop was visible at the western end of the northern horn of the mound. A geophysical survey carried out on the mound a number of years previously indicated bedrock and an area(s) of burning within the mound.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches to best cover the area of the proposed development and investigate the mound. Trenches A and B were located through the mound and measured 18.5m and 15.1m long respectively, 1.9-2.2m wide and 0.05-0.6m deep. Trenches C and D were located through the proposed dwelling and garage and measured 20.2m and 16.3m long respectively, 1.85m wide and 0.4-0.95m deep.
The stratigraphy in Trenches A and B consisted of topsoil above natural subsoil and bedrock. The topsoil contained an amount of field clearance which included one red brick fragment. The bedrock was visible as high as 50mm below the surface. Below the topsoil in Trenches C and D were natural subsoils. The topsoil contained three modern pottery sherds, a red brick fragment and two pottery sherds of 18th/19th-century date.
The mound was shown to be a natural feature of bedrock and boulders with field clearance thrown up against either side. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.

4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, County Mayo