2020:716 - Lurgan 1, Roscommon

Lurgan 1 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 and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The site was identified during Stage (i)a Standard Test Excavations carried out by AMS under Ministerial Direction No. A077 (Registration No. E5070; Hardy 2021). The on-site works of the Stage (iii) Excavation and Post-excavation Assessment Services at Lurgan 1 were undertaken from the 6 July to 4 August 2020.

The site of Lurgan 1 comprised two discrete spreads of charcoal-rich soil and heat-shattered sandstone and limestone connected by a layer of sandy peat mixed with burnt stone. Together these spreads formed an L-shaped deposit, 11m north to south by 9, and a maximum of 0.16m deep. Beneath these there was a trough which measured 1.66m by 1.1m in plan, and 0.3m deep. This trough had five fills, two of which lay on its base. One of the two basal fills was localised in the northern half of the base. This was 0.08m deep and consisted of a poorly sorted mixture of burnt spread material and natural subsoil. This fill may be a remnant from an early use of the trough which was not fully cleaned out. The other basal fill was an overflow of the burnt spread deposit which lay to the south of the trough, extending from the burnt spread in a contiguous deposit down the trough’s south side and into the southern half of its base to a depth of 0.09m. A third fill was localised against the northern side of the trough, where it reached a thickness of 0.1m. This material was very similar to southern burnt spread in composition and may also be a remnant from an early use of the trough which was not fully cleaned out.

Overlying these lower fills was the trough’s main fill, which was a dark brown clayey silt, 0.2m deep. This is likely to represent a natural silting up after the last use of the trough. A sample of hazel charcoal from this fill returned a Middle Bronze Age date of cal. 1614–1499 BC (UBA-46771; 3275±23BP). This was overlain by the sandy peat and burnt stone layer which connected the two burnt spreads.

No artefacts were found during the investigations. Charred wood macro-remains consisted of hazel, ash, willow, oak and pomaceous fruitwood, while waterlogged remains of raspberry, brambles, parsley-piert, knotweed, knotgrass, docks, bedstraw, nightshade and elder were recorded in the main fill of the trough. Organic residue analysis of a stone sample from southern burnt spread displayed only trace lipids, suggesting the material from this context was not used in the processing of animal products.

Reference

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 & Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Survey. Ministerial Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070. Unpublished AMS report for Roscommon County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

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