County: Roscommon Site name: Leggatinty 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E5226
Author: Clare Mullins on belalf of Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS)
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 573942m, N 789138m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.851057, -8.396033
Leggatinty 3 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). It was identified during Stage (i)a Test Excavations, carried out by AMS under Ministerial Direction (Direction No. A077, Registration No. E5070; Hardy 2021).
The archaeological remains at Leggatinty 3 comprised a burnt mound and sub-rectangular pit, interpreted as a trough. The burnt mound consisted of a layer of compact charcoal-rich sandy clay and frequent heat-shattered stones. It was irregularly shaped in plan and measured 12m long (north–south), 11m wide and 0.34m in depth. Petrographic analysis identified the heat-shattered stone as exclusively consisting of red and yellow sandstone.
A trough was found cut into the underlying marl under the west side of the burnt mound. This feature was sub-rectangular in plan, 2.46m long (east–west), 1.55m wide and 0.36m deep. It had a gentle break of slope at the top of the cut, steep sides, a gentle break of slope at the bottom, and a flat base. It contained a single fill of blackish-grey charcoal-rich sandy clay and heat-shattered stone, and some unburnt stone. A sample of alder charcoal was dated to the Early Bronze Age, 1879–1688 cal. BC (UBA-46768, 3449±23).
No artefacts were found during the investigation. Palaeo-environmental analysis of the burnt mound and fill of the trough identified charred wood macro-remains of hazel, oak, ash, alder and willow. The archaeological features at Leggatinty 3 date to the Early Bronze Age and relate to prehistoric subsistence and/or other specialised activities.
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 Unpublished AMS report for TII and RCC.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
