County: Sligo Site name: Cloghoge Upper 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005059, (Ministerial Direction No.: A071)
Author: Colum Hardy
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 575806m, N 814196m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.076314, -8.369691
An archaeological excavation was carried out at the site of Cloghoge Upper 1 in advance of construction of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Development Scheme in Co. Sligo.
The excavation was carried out by Colum Hardy and James McKee of Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) Ltd. on behalf of Roadbridge between 16 and 17 April 2019.
The site was identified during testing (Reg No. E005036) undertaken by AMS in 2019 at the southern end of the N4 Road Scheme in the townland of Cloghoge Upper.
The archaeological remains at Cloghoge Upper 1 consisted of a large burnt mound overlying a natural peat layer and sealed by secondary peat deposit. The mound extended to the north-east beyond the Lands Made Available (LMA) for the N4 Road Project. A small portion within the LMA was left in situ as it lay within an eco-sensitive ‘exclusion’ area. The burnt mound, which comprised two deposits of heat-shattered stones in charcoal-enriched soil matrices, was semi-circular in plan, measured 13.5m by 4.15m and continued beyond the limit of excavation. No features were revealed beneath the mound and no artefacts were recovered from the excavations at the site. A modern pit cut into the secondary peat deposit was located close to the mound.
The archaeological remains likely date to the Bronze Age or the Iron Age. However, post-excavation analysis is ongoing, including radiocarbon dating, specialist analysis of environmental remains and comparative research, which will hopefully further enhance our understanding of this site and provide a date for the remains. A final report incorporating the results of this analysis is due to be completed in June 2021.
Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd., Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare, V15 C780
