2020:352 - Drumkilsellagh 2, Sligo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Sligo Site name: Drumkilsellagh 2

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005263 (also R00544 and Ministerial Consent Ref. No. A079)

Author: Denis Shine

Site type: Prehistoric pit complex

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 571764m, N 840257m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.310277, -8.433898

Stage (iii) Excavations were undertaken at Drumkilsellagh 2 as part of the N16 Lugatober (Drumkilsellagh to Lugnagall) Road Project, Co. Sligo. Drumkilsellagh 2 was discovered in the southern section of the scheme during advance Stage (i) Test Excavations undertaken in 2020 by AMS (Dowling and McKee 2020; Registration Nos.: E005188 and R00544; Ministerial Consent Ref.: A079).

The on-site Stage (iii) Excavation Services at Drumkilsellagh 2 were undertaken between 19 November and 4 December 2020. The site consisted of a complex of pits (most likely Bronze Age) as well as a number of stake-holes, post-holes and a single linear feature. A total of 43 probable prehistoric cut features were recorded at the site which, with two exceptions, were all cut through the natural subsoil and directly overlaid by topsoil. The features included 28 pits, 12 stake-holes, two possible post-holes and one linear feature. Several of the features appeared to be heavily truncated, with only the ephemeral remains of their bases remaining, presumably as a result of heavy ploughing indicated by a furrow system on the site. Partly as a result of this ploughing it was difficult to decipher any clear spatial pattern to the features, with no clear evidence of structures encountered. Prehistoric pottery was recovered from three pits, while worked chert and burnt bone was also noted on two occasions, with one pit in particular indicating the characteristics of a cremation pit.
A second phase of activity at the site was represented by three linear features/drains as well as the aforementioned furrow system. Soil samples were taken from the fill of each suitable feature with the intention of obtaining several radiocarbon dates, should suitable organic remains be present.

Drumkilsellagh 2 is located 350m north of a single isolated prehistoric pit at Drumkilsellagh 1. More significantly, several other prehistoric sites were also found in the adjacent Castlegal townland during the N16 Lugatober (Drumkilsellagh to Lugnagall) Road Project, including two newly excavated ring-ditches (Castlegal 2 and 3) 280m north-west of Drumkilsellagh 2, which are themselves 200m south of a palisaded enclosure (Castlegal 4). These new discoveries are in addition to previously known archaeological monuments including a wedge tomb (SL009-031) in Drumkilsellagh (170m from Drumkilseallgh 2) and an embanked barrow (SL009-030) and ring barrow (SL009-027) in Castlegal townland. Collectively, the excavations and known monuments point to a socialised and inhabited landscape in prehistory, most likely in the Bronze Age.

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