2020:320 - Kilmacannon, Sligo

Archaeological excavation of the site of the Cross Inscribed Pillar (SL007-01701) at Kilmacannon, Co. Sligo was undertaken on behalf of the National Monument Service from 14 to 16 December 2020. The cross-inscribed pillar had stood upright until it was accidently displaced in 2015. In 2018 the stone was removed from its original location for safekeeping and stored securely in a nearby agricultural shed.
A small-scale archaeological excavation was undertaken of the immediate area where the stone had been originally erected to recover the remains of the base of the pillar that may still be present in the ground and to attempt to determine the relationship, if any, between it and the boulders surrounding it.
A trench measuring 1m (north-south) by 3m was hand-excavated by firstly removing of the sod and grass layer and topsoil (C1). C1 measured 0.1m in depth and overlay 0.1m of dark brown silty clay subsoil (C2). Throughout the subsoil were moderate occurrences of small stones and sand, likely from the blowing sands that occur in this area of north Co. Sligo. The top of the broken basal portion of the stone was quickly identified below topsoil overburden, in the centre of the test trench.
The basal portion had a stepped profile and measured 70m in length; width 0.38m top at ground level (south-west/north-east) to 0.02m base; maximum thickness was 0.15m. The basal portion of the stone had no decoration on its surface and was set upright into the ground, with the lowest point embedded in the underlying boulder clay. The stepped profile of the basal portion of the stone was designed to hold the weight of the stone and to enable it to be securely embedded in the ground.
There was no discernible cut for the pillar stone until the base of the shaft was removed revealing what appeared to be a sub-rectangular steep-sided socket (C9) into the natural yellowish-orange boulder clay (C10). The shape of of the socket formed the stepped shape of the end of the stone, probably a result of footing the stone into the ground.
The overall height of the stone is just under 2m when both portions were reunited, with most of the stone being visible above ground.
To support a stone of these proportions there was an arrangement of packing stones in the socket around the cross pillar. Notable amongst the packing stones were those of similar thickness and proportions to the pillar stone that were inserted on the south-west and north-east side of the cross-pillar base to provide support to the stone. Smaller sub-rounded and sub-angular packing stones were also present as was an abundance of small quartz pebbles and water rolled stones. Two chert flakes were also found in the soil matrix around the pillar stone.
Examination of the stone when both portions were reunited indicated that the decorated face was orientated west-north-west, possibly a deliberate orientation facing towards the nearby church site of Ballintemple. Most of the boulders that are visible on the surface in the immediate area of the pillar were not embedded deeply in the ground and were largely sitting on the surface. This suggests that they had no structural relationship with the pillar and may be later additions possibly from 19th-century field clearance in the immediate locality. Although the boulders are not structurally supportive it could be argued that they were placed there to protect the pillar from cattle.

Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo