County: Mayo Site name: N59 Westport to Mulranny Road Scheme, Co. Mayo - Derradda to Newport Section. Derradda 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 21E0198
Author: Graham Hull
Site type: Early medieval metal-working pit
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 496181m, N 796035m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.903294, -9.579878
Derradda 1 was located on the proposed N59 Westport to Mulranny Road Scheme, Derradda to Newport Section, Co. Mayo. The site was revealed during test trenching in 2020 (19E0504) and, as preservation in situ was not a feasible option, was excavated in March 2021. The excavation was undertaken on behalf of Mayo County Council, with funding from Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The site encompassed an area of 90m² and was situated in a pasture field. The excavation revealed an early medieval pit containing iron smithing slag. The oval pit was 2.45m long, 2.15m wide and 0.7m deep, with shallow concave sides and a flat base. The basal fill was black sandy silt with occasional sub-angular stone and a high percentage of oak charcoal. The upper fill was moderately compact sandy silt with sub-angular small stones and oak charcoal. An assemblage of iron slag was recovered from the pit, including smithing hearthcakes. Oak charcoal from the lower fill was radiocarbon dated to cal. AD 1025-1157 (UBA-44490, BP 966 ±26). The archaeological features and deposits within the site were fully excavated, however the pit extends beyond the scheme boundary to the north. The excavated area was backfilled and reinstated.
TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare
