2018:308 - Carroweighter 2, Roscommon

Stage (iii) archaeological excavation was carried out at Carroweighter 2, in advance of the N60 Oran Road Realignment Project, Co. Roscommon. The site was discovered during Stage (i) archaeological testing (11E0247) and was assessed during Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services.

The excavation at Carroweighter 2 recorded a number of archaeological features comprising pits, ditches and ploughing activity. Two cremation deposits were uncovered at the northern end of the site, one contained in a pit and another as a spread. A charcoal-rich spread was also uncovered on the site as well as a curvilinear feature at its north-western end. A large circular ditched enclosure dominated the excavated area, part of which continued to the north outside the Lands Made Available. Numerous layers of material were identified in the ditch, some of which appear to represent deliberate back-filled deposits. Notably, an articulated human skeleton was recorded at the base of the ditch in the southern quadrant. The context and posture of the body suggest a hurried disrespectful burial, and the placement of the severed right foot between the lower legs of the individual raises interesting questions about the circumstances of death.

The site at Carroweighter 2 had also been subject to an intensive phase of agricultural activity characterised by linear cultivation furrows and a field boundary. These features are considered to represent 19th-century ‘lazy bed’ activity, and as such are not regarded as archaeological in nature. Similarly, a pit containing a 19th-century ceramic sherd and the partially articulated skeletal remains of a small animal is not considered an archaeological feature.

Post-excavation analyses are ongoing for this excavation.

IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow