2020:501 - N83 Carrowmunniagh/Carrowculleen, Galway

Archaeological testing, and limited full excavation, was carried out ahead of the N83 Road Improvement Scheme at a location south of Dunmore. Testing was carried out in two phases by David Bayley and David McIlreavy. The site was located on the crest of a hilltop, with several ringforts in the immediate vicinity, outside of the road take. Geophysical survey by Earthsound confirmed significant modern disturbance, and also identified an oval enclosure adjacent to ringfort GA017-031 and the remains of an early modern building. Both were located adjacent to but not impacted by the development.
Lands on both sides of the existing N83 were tested in both Carrowmunniagh and Carrowculleen townlands. In Carrowculleen townland, an isolated cremation burial pit was fully excavated. It was located on the crest of the hill, affording good views of the surrounding landscape. The pit contained the cremated and crushed partial human remains of an adolescent or adult of undetermined sex, plus a minute piece of undecorated gold leaf (unburnt, folded and torn fragment possibly of a larger object), was retrieved from sieving the fill. Charcoal of varied taxa but predominantly hazel was also recovered from this pit. Both human bone and hazel charcoal were submitted for radiocarbon dating and returned dates converging in the late 8th/early 9th century BC (Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age). A 10m-wide area was opened around this burial pit, but no further evidence of associated archaeological features was revealed.
On the western side of the road, also in Carrowculleen, the buried remnants of two early modern buildings were partly exposed. Finds dating between the 18th and 20th century were retrieved from the demolition fill in one of the buildings. The structures form part of a cluster of four dwellings depicted on either side of the road on the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1838–9). The site of the third structure, depicted at the south end of the present scheme, could not be investigated due to the presence of a live underground watermain in the location. The fourth dwelling, located on the eastern side of the road and across from the first, is still extant. This was subject to a full architectural survey and recorded separately. It was interpreted as a byre house, offering accommodation for people and their livestock.
In Carrowmunniagh, east of the present road, three small early modern/modern burial pits were also excavated, containing the bones of several young animal carcasses, representing a piglet and a kid or lamb.
No further works are proposed.

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