County: Roscommon Site name: Gortnacrannagh 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E5134
Author: Clare Mullins on belalf of Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS)
Site type: Possible ring-ditch, structures and field system
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 584774m, N 786563m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.828348, -8.231281
Gortnacrannagh 5 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). It was 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 included remnants of three possible structures, a possible ring-ditch, several pits and a rectilinear field system and furrows. It is evident from the artefactual assemblage, which includes lithics and some crumbs of possible prehistoric pottery, that there was a prehistoric phase on the site. The possible structures, possible ring-ditch and pits are thought to date from this phase, but this will be confirmed through radiocarbon dating.
The most complete of the structural outlines was sub-rectangular in plan, 8.2m long by 7m wide, and had opposing entrances in its long sides. It was defined by a 0.08–0.23m deep slot-trench and the entrances were c.2.2m wide. There were two pits on its interior: a small circular pit and a larger sub-rectangular pit. The other two possible structures survived only as single arcs of slot-trenches. The possible ring-ditch also only comprised a single arc. It was 8m long along its curved length, 0.37–0.4m wide and 0.09–0.12m deep, and burnt bone was retrieved from its fill.
A small isolated pit in the centre of the site contained three fragments of an iron knife. The rectilinear field system was visible in geophysics (Nicholls 2019) and in LiDAR imagery (Davis 2015) but is not recorded on the first-edition six-inch Ordnance Survey map (1838) or later editions. It may be a late medieval or early modern field system. It was cut by later furrows and field drains.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing and it is hoped that specialist reports, including radiocarbon dating and comparative research, will further enhance our understanding of the site.
References
Davis, S. 2015. N5 Strokestown-Ballaghaderreen corridor: LiDAR Assessment. Unpublished report prepared by UCD School of Archaeology for RCC and TII.
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 TII and RCC.
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
