2020:799 - KILGARVE, Mayo

The rescue excavation of two fulachta fiadh and two burnt spreads, uncovered during monitoring of topsoil stripping by Mayo County Council along a road re-alignment project, at Kilgarve townland, Glenisland, County Mayo, was carried out between 22 June and 15 July 2020.  The four features were located in a relatively flat field of pasture just east of the Glenisland River and Lough Beltra. Four cuttings (A-D) were opened to investigate the four features (F1-F4). The topsoil contained a small number of modern pottery sherds and one uninscribed clay pipe stem.

The first burnt mound (F1) was crescent-shaped and measured 6.2m west north-west/east south-east by 2.8m and 0.26m thick. Below the burnt mound (F1) were two pits (F6 and F8) and a third possible pit (F7).

The first burnt spread (F2) was located 22m north of F1 and measured 1.7m north-south by 0.8m and 0.12m thick. The second burnt spread (F4) was located 31m south-east of F1 and measured 2.3m north north-east/south south-west by 0.2-0.9m and 0.3m thick.

The second burnt mound (F3) was located 7.5m south of F4 and measured 4.7m north-east/south-west by 2.7m and 0.34m thick. It (F3) was located in a natural depression, was crescent-shaped in plan and opened to the south-east. An associated trough (F5) was located 1.2m south-east of the mound (F3). It (F5) was sub-rectangular in plan and contained seven stake-holes (S1-S7). The trough (F5) measured 2.5m west south-west/east north-east by 0.95-1.1m wide and 0.22-0.45m deep. A 1.25m long and up to 0.33m wide section of the south south-east side of the feature appeared to have collapsed in the past. The base of the trough (F5) sloped gently down from west south-west to east north-east. It (F5) had steep, almost vertical sides.

Six (S1-S6) of the stake-holes were located along the sides and in the corners of the trough (F5) and most were filled with burnt mound material. They measured 30-90mm in diameter and 60-150mm deep. A roughly square area of charcoal (F9) was centrally located in the east north-eastern half of the trough (F5) and measured 0.8m east north-east/west south-west by 0.85m. The seventh stake-hole (S7) was located centrally within the area of high charcoal concentration (F9). It (S7) measured 70mm in diameter and 170-220mm deep.

The radiocarbon dates for the features provided interesting information regarding the complex, which was in use over approximately 1500 years between the middle of the third millenium and the end of the second millenium BC. The dates placed the more northerly of the burnt spreads (F2) and the nearby pit (F8) in the Chalcolithic Age, the burnt mount (F1) above the pit (F8) and the second bunt spread (F4) in the Early Bronze Age and the burnt mound (F3) and large associated trough (F5) at the southern end of the site in the Late Bronze Age. This was a large time span for the features, which were located within 80m of each other. The dates from the pit (F8) and the burnt mound above (F1) suggest usage for almost 300 years. It then appears the site was returned to over 600 years later when the second fulacht fiadh (F3) was used. Unfortunately no artefacts were uncovered during the excavation.