County: Roscommon Site name: Gortnacrannagh 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E5133
Author: Clare Mullins on belalf of Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS)
Site type: Burnt spread, trough and pits
Period/Dating: Neolithic (4000BC-2501 BC)
ITM: E 584767m, N 786611m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.828780, -8.231390
Gortnacrannagh 4 was excavated in advance of construction of the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project in County Roscommon by Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) for Roscommon County Council (RCC) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The site was initially identified by geophysical survey (Registration No. R000509), conducted by Target Archaeological Geophysics Ltd (Nicholls 2019, 28). The subsurface remains of a burnt spread were identified during Stage (i)a Standard Test Excavations, carried out by AMS under Ministerial Direction (Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070; Hardy 2021). The archaeological remains consisted of a burnt spread in two discrete patches and four pits, one of which was rectangular in plan and is interpreted as a trough. The trough had a sharp break of slope at the top and steep sides that broke sharply to a flat base. It measured 1.7m long, 1.08m wide, 0.15m deep and contained three fills: light-grey gravelly silt containing occasional flecks of charcoal, 0.06m deep, overlain by similar but light-grey gravelly silt, 0.04m deep, overlain by dark blackish-grey silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks, 0.07m deep.
The northern pit was subcircular in plan, measured 1.28m in diameter, 0.22m deep and contained two fills: the basal fill was a loose mid-grey charcoal-rich, coarse, silty sand with heat-shattered stone 0.03m deep, and an upper fill which consisted of moderately compact light to dark grey charcoal-rich sandy silt, with heat-shattered yellow, red and grey sandstone inclusions, 0.2m deep.
The eastern pit was sub-oval in plan, 1.36m long, 1.15m wide, 0.54m deep and contained a single fill of a loose mid-greyish brown clayey silt, with heat-shattered red and grey sandstone inclusions. A sample of alder charcoal returned a Late Neolithic date of 2837–2470 cal. BC (UBA-47764; 4045±33BP).
The southern pit was sub-oval in plan, 1.36m long, 1.05m wide, 0.42m deep and contained two fills: a basal fill of loose dark-grey charcoal-rich clayey silt and heat-shattered stone, 0.1m deep, and an upper fill of moderately loose dark-brownish grey clay containing heat-shattered red sandstone inclusions, 0.25m deep. A sample of alder charcoal from the basal fill returned a Late Neolithic date of 2850–2475 cal. BC (UBA47765; 4069±34BP).
The two patches of burnt spread measuring 3.75m long, 3.1m wide, 0.03m deep and 4.2m long, 3.9m wide, 0.04m deep partially overlay the trough and two of the pits. These may originally have been a single feature that combined covered an area c.16m northwest–southeast by 7.7m north–south.
One flint flake was found in association with the burnt spread and will be retained for the national collection. Charred wood remains consisted of blackthorn/cherry, alder, pomaceous fruitwood, oak and hazel.
References
Hardy, C. 2021. N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project Stage (i)a, (i)b, (i)c Test Excavation, Stage (i)m Testing in Felled Forestry and Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Survey. Ministerial Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070. Unpublished AMS report for RCC and TII.
Nicholls, J. 2019. Geophysical Survey Report, N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project, Co. Roscommon. Unpublished report prepared by Target Archaeological Geophysics Ltd on behalf of Archaeological Management Solutions.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
