County: Sligo Site name: Drumcliffe South
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SL008-084004- Licence number: C000888; E005004
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Midden
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 567789m, N 842055m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.326197, -8.495172
Archaeological monitoring of the excavation of a service trench to repair a leaking water pipe in the vicinity of National Monument 119, High Cross (SL008-084004-), at Drumcliffe monastic centre, Drumcliffe South, Co. Sligo was undertaken on August 16 2018. Material of an archaeological nature was found in the trench in the form of a shell midden along the north-facing section of the trench.
The trench was excavated using a mechanical excavator equipped with a graded bucket in the same location as where a trench had previously been excavated to access the water pipe. The excavated trench measured 1.15m wide, 0.8m deep and 2.5m long. At 0.5m below the surface of the carpark was a small deposit of shell-rich material. The exposed area of shell midden deposit measured 0.2m deep and 1m in length (east-west). The midden consisted of a dark brown friable clayey silt with frequent shells inclusions. The variety of shellfish species included oyster, periwinkle and limpet. The shell midden was summarily recorded, preserved in situ and the trench backfilled with gravel.
17 Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo
