2020:789 - BALOOR, Mayo
County: Mayo
Site name: BALOOR
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: E005220; Ministerial Direction No.: A069
Author: Declan Moore
Author/Organisation Address: 3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 516494m, N 788425m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.838595, -9.268785
The author was commissioned by Wills BAM JV to undertake a programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed external borrow area (EBA02) at Balloor Townland, Co. Mayo as detailed herein.
Testing was carried out on 3–4 November 2020. 17 test trenches were excavated.
In general, the stratigraphy comprised a thin surface of grass and rushes overlying a 300mm-thick deposit of dark brown topsoil and sod occasionally containing tree roots. The depth of the topsoil and sod varied with surface undulations from 200mm at the top of the slope with outcrops of bedrock and gravels noted, gradually deepening to the west where the maximum depth observed was 450mm. Throughout the site the basal strata comprised shattered stones and gravel in a sandy silt with frequent large stones and boulders or outcrops of bedrock.
Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during the course of the test excavations.