2020:779 - LISCROMWELL, Aghalusky and Rinshinna, Mayo

The author was commissioned by Wills-BAM Joint Venture to undertake a programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed external deposition area (EDA01) at Liscromwell, Co. Mayo.

EDA01 is located near a quarry east of Castlebar town in low-lying marginal land at the former junction of three townlands—Liscromwell, Aghalusky and Rinshinna. The nearest recorded monuments are to the north—MA078-007 and MA078-008, both classified as enclosures. The two enclosures have largely been levelled. Archaeological investigations for the N5 road scheme located a lime kiln (Liscromwell 1) to the direct east of the EDA.

The testing was carried out on 3 and 4 June 2020. The site comprises 6 fields. Twenty-two test trenches and three test pits were excavated at the site in generally bright and sunny conditions.

The test trenches were redesigned due to localised boggy conditions. Field 4 was extremely waterlogged and although 3 trial pits were excavated here no further testing was carried out due to health and safety reasons.

In general, the stratigraphy comprised a homogenous mid-brown sandy silty topsoil and sod ranging in depth from 200-350mm overlying an outcrop of bedrock at the east with deep deposits of peat throughout the remainder of the site. At the northern end of the site a ridge of subsurface higher ground was noted. The stratigraphy at this location comprised topsoil and sod ranging in depth from 100–350mm overlying a natural light brown compact sandy clay subsoil with frequent inclusions of small to medium-sized stones.  Some modern drainage features were observed running north-south throughout the site, including one finely-built French drain which had been constructed around 1950 by the landowner’s father. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during archaeological testing.