County: Roscommon Site name: Bumlin 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005216
Author: Lydia Cagney, Alan Healy and Kevin Kearney
Site type: Burnt spread with trough and metalworking furnaces
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 595294m, N 780425m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.773393, -8.071390
Bumlin 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). The site consisted of metalworking features, a burnt spread and other associated features. It was identified during Stage (i)m Standard Test Excavations, carried out by AMS under Ministerial Direction (Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070; Hardy 2021).
Bumlin 5 consisted of a burnt spread overlying a trough and potentially related post-holes, a metalworking furnace, a possible kiln and two pits, and a series of agricultural furrows.
The spread measured 7.25m by 4.35m and had a depth of 0.2m. It consisted of moderately compacted dark-blackish grey clayey silt with a mix of heat-shattered and unburnt angular sandstone. Organic residue (lipid) analysis from a sample of stone from the burnt spread suggests the presence of vegetation-derived organic matter of a woody origin, possibly roots found in soil. The spread sealed a trough, three small post-holes, a shallow spread and an area of heat-affected soil. The trough measured 1.56m by 1.3m and 0.28m in depth and consisted of three fills. The primary fill contained charcoal and small–medium angular burnt stone; the secondary fill contained small–medium-sized sub-rounded burnt stone covered by washed-in material. A sample of hazel charcoal from the basal fill of the trough returned a Chalcolithic date of 2466–2209 cal. BC (UBA-48076; 3881±35BP). The heat-affected area measured 1.35m by 0.67m and 0.4m in depth and may have acted as a hearth, heating the stone for the trough.
To the west, the group of metalworking furnaces and associated features consisted of a small circular furnace and two pits containing metallurgical waste and a post-hole. The small circular furnace measured 0.38m long, 0.22m wide, 0.09m deep and contained two fills over intense in-situ burning to the vertical–steep sides that broke gradually to a concave base. A sample of oak charcoal from its basal fill returned an early medieval date of cal. AD 670–873 (UBA-48077; 1258±28BP). Three additional pits, some of which may be smithing hearths, contained metallurgical residues or waste material. Ash charcoal from one of these returned an early medieval date of cal. AD 665–774 (UBA-48079; 1292±27BP).
The possible kiln consisted of two sub-circular pits connected by a partially stone-lined flue with evidence of intense in-situ burning in the bowl and along the flue. The bowl measured 1.08m long, 0.95m wide, 0.6m deep, and contained two main fills. The second pit was 0.8m long, 0.74m wide, 0.1m deep and contained a single fill from which charred grains of barley and oats were recovered. The flue measured 2.18m long, 0.2–1m wide, 0.34m deep, contained two cuts and five fills, with an upper fill covering both bowl and channel. Two slots cut halfway along the flue on each edge contained partial remains of a stone lining. Hazel charcoal from the primary fill of the bowl returned an early medieval date of cal. AD 649–773 (UBA-48078; 1331±28BP).
A small, metalled surface at the north edge of the flue measured 0.26m long, 0.2m wide, 0.05m deep, and a second to the east of the bowl measured 4m long, 1m wide and 0.08m deep. These surfaces could have been used during the construction and manufacturing processes. A single large post-hole south of the sub-rectangular furnace with a partially stone-lined flue measured 0.49m long, 0.2m wide, and 0.27m deep.
Five flint flakes were recovered from the early medieval features during investigations and are likely to be residual artefacts. These will be retained for the national collection. Charcoal from the burnt spread comprised hazel, oak, pomaceous fruitwood, ash, elm, birch and alder. Oak dominated the charcoal assemblage from the metalworking furnace and pits, while alder, birch, hazel, ash, pomaceous fruitwood, blackthorn/cherry and oak were identified in the fill of the possible kiln.
This report summary was submitted on behalf of its authors.
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 and Stage (i)f Townland Boundary Survey. Ministerial Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070. Unpublished AMS report for TII and RCC.
AMS, Fahy's Road, Kilrush, Clare
