2020:235 - Rathedmond & Finisklin, Sligo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Sligo Site name: Rathedmond & Finisklin

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0178 (Extension)

Author: Tamlyn McHugh

Site type: Pits and charcoal production kiln/clamp

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 568180m, N 836330m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.274781, -8.488552

Archaeological material was identified at a proposed development site at the former Ursuline Convent in Sligo during archaeological testing conducted on dates between May 18th and 20th 2020 under licence number 20E0178. It was recommended that the archaeological features identified during testing be fully excavated prior to any development taking place. The features were subsequently fully excavated and recorded on June 25th and 26th following a request to the National Monuments Service for an extension to the licence.
The proposed development is 4.5 hectares in size as such it was required that pre-development archaeological testing take place. A total of fifteen test trenches were excavated across the development area in the front garden of the former convent, in the large sloping field to the south and along the southern boundary to the convent. The total area excavated comprised 1613.72m of trench. All trenches were excavated to the top of archaeological material or the boulder clay. During the programme of archaeological testing several features of possible archaeological significance was noted within the development area – in Trench 4, Trench 9, and Trench 10.
Full excavation of the archaeological features which were exposed during the testing (Phase 1) took place on June 25th and 26th 2020. The four features (F1-4) excavated showed evidence of charcoal production and metal working at the site. Feature 1 and 2 comprised two small bowl-shaped pits with charcoal inclusions – this were interpreted as possible bowl furnaces, however the lack of in situ burning may refute this interpretation. Both these features were truncated by modern furrows which may have obliterated further evidence to support this interpretation. F3 also appeared to have a similar function relating to charcoal production and may have been a charcoal production kiln/clamp – again the lack of in situ burning here may suggest that there was another function to the pit that is not clear. F4 comprised a sub rectangular pit with a charcoal enriched soil and extensive in situ burning evident from the heat effected surrounding substrate. F4 may have functioned, along with the other features, as a charcoal production kiln/clamp.

Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo