Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo: Report 2011

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the lowland South of Faulagh hill, all of Carrowmore hill, the lowland between Carrowmore and Gortmelia hills and the lowland close to the coast in Gortmelia, Inver and Graghil townlands. Where bog sections are present, there is evidence of tree stumps in the low-lying bog in the East part of the study area. Large numbers are present in the cut-away bog in the lowland between Faulagh and Pollatomish hills and close to the coast in Aghoos townland. In 1984, large oak trunks were removed from the bog in the course of land drainage close to the Northeast corner of Carrowmore Lake. Tree stumps are visible below the water level along the East edge of the lake. They are also evident uphill of the uppermost limit of prehistoric settlement on the South slopes of Dooncarton and Faulagh hills. The extensive remains of scrubby pine in the lower levels of the bog in Aghoos townland were studied by Prof. Martin Downes. One pine stump gave a C-14 determination of 2,348 bc (pers com). One kilometre W of Bellanaboy bridge, a pine stump with its roots in the bog, 20cms above the mineral soil, yielded a determination of 2390 + 65 bc. A second pine stump from the same spot, but from a lower level and with its roots in the mineral soil, give a determination of 5160 + 75 bc (Hakansson, 1974, 323). While the latter tree did not grow in the bog, its preservation would suggest that anaerobic conditions existed by 5,000 bc, thus preserving it from decay. Megalithic tombs, cists and stone circles Of the 14 megalithic tombs now known within the study area, 6 are classified as court tombs, 2 as portal tombs and 1 as a wedge tomb, while 5 remain as unclassified. Seven of these tombs are included by de Valera and O Nuallain (1964, Ma 1, Ma19, Ma20, Ma21, Ma22, Ma23 and Ma38). Three others, M1, M2 and M3, were known at the time their survey was undertaken, but were not included for reasons that will be discussed later. These 3 megaliths, along with 2 others, M6 and M7, were subsequently published by Aldridge (1961, 1965), while the remaining 2 tombs, M4 and M5, were located in the course of preliminary reconnaissance work in the area in 1979. Although the number of tombs has been doubled for the area, the new tombs, rather than altering the distribution pattern in any way, tend to intensify that pattern already established. However, such an increase in tomb numbers would have a profound effect on locational analysis type settlement studies, which use megaliths as basic raw data to indicate settlement pattern. 126
The elevation of the tombs, all sited between 100 and 500 ft OD is consistent with that noted for Co. Mayo generally. Six of the tombs are located between 100 and 200 ft OD, with 4 of the 6 court tombs falling within this bracket. Three of the tombs are located between 200 and 300 ft OD, 3 others between 300 and 400 ft OD, and 2 between 400 and 500 ft OD. Such elevations are related to siting on moderately elevated hillslopes with a tendency to avoid lowlands, such as the eastern lowlands, the valley floors and the coastal strips. Where the megaliths are located in general low-lying areas, they still tend to be sited in elevated positions. The 2 megaliths, M5 and Ma19, in the Owenduff valley are sited on sloping ground above the valley floor proper. Dooncarton tomb, Ma1, is sited on the shoulder of a terrace, immediately overlooking the lowland along the North coastal strip. The Knocknalower tomb, M4, is the only megalith within the area that has a true valley floor siting. In general, the tombs favour slopes with a South or West aspect. Seven are sited on Southsouthwest facing slopes, with 5 of these being located on Faulagh hill. The major exceptions here, and indeed the major exceptions to the whole prehistoric settlement pattern noted over the area, are the 3 tombs located on North hillslopes. One is located on Faulagh hill, Ma21, one on Knocknalower hill, Ma20 and one on Dooncarton hill, Ma1. The Knocknalower tomb is sited on a Westnorthwest facing basal slope of a natural amphitheatre set into the North side of that hill. This natural feature is probably a corrie dating to the Munsterain Glaciation. It may be no coincidence that the court tomb sited on the North slope of Dooncarton hill and a second court tomb in Rosdoagh (de Valera and O Nuallain, 1964, Ma2) on the adjacent peninsula are located either side of Sruwaddacon Bay, a stretch of water that holds a very rich salmon run. Nine of the megaliths are located in bogland, with the remaining 5 on present day agricultural land. The latter 5 megaliths are extremely important to the study, representing the principal means by which the prehistoric settlement pattern can be extended into such areas. 127
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes
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Table of Contents Introduction ....
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Scientific Research associated with
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Introduction This report reviews th
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- A summary of the radiocarbon dati
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Creating Digital Archaeological Lan
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Figure 2: Data Model for NBNM GIS R
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Figure 4: example of outputs at Cé
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Rathlackan As a result of a lack of
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Radiocarbon Dating A further tranch
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RATHLACKAN Lab Number F no S. No Co
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GLENULRA ENCLOSURE Notes Cal BC (95
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Lab Code Cutting Sample Material AR
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Charcoal analysis from Neolithic an
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Results Overall charcoal 83 samples
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Glenulra Scatter 92E140 Middle Neol
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Oak and birch were recorded from Cu
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35 30 no of samples 25 20 15 10 5 0
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Area A A long length of Neolithic f
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piece was 17 years old when cut, ba
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elating to midden B2P and from five
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1% 6% Corylus 1% 14% 25% 0% 2% 4% 4
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posts burnt in situ. Rather the pos
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When the charcoal is examined throu
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at Glenulra scatter. Alder was iden
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een freely available in the area. T
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References Byrne, G., Warren, G., W
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Verrill, L. and Tipping, R. 2010. U
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Table 3 Charcoal identifications fr
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Sample Date Ctg Context Description
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Sample Date Ctg Context Description
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Sample Trench Time period Descripti
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Page 79 and 80:
Table 7 Wood identification details
Page 81 and 82: Table 8 Charcoal identifications fr
Page 83 and 84: Cutting Sample Date Feature Descrip
Page 89 and 90: Table 8 Sample assessment Rathlacka
Page 91 and 92: Phase F. S. Trench Deposit type Loc
Page 93 and 94: Behy-Glenulra: Céide Fields visito
Page 95 and 96: A possible midden (B2P) contained a
Page 97 and 98: Wild remains Hazelnut shell fragmen
Page 99 and 100: References Beijerinck, W. 1947. Zad
Page 101 and 102: Verrill, L. and Tipping, R. 2010. A
Page 103 and 104: Soils and Geology Graeme Warren Thi
Page 105 and 106: Figure 3: overview of geological fe
Page 107 and 108: distinctive deposits and landscape
Page 109 and 110: Figure 4: major landuse categories.
Page 111 and 112: References ?? Soil Map of West Mayo
Page 113 and 114: The first scientific paper on late
Page 115 and 116: Also in the summer of 1963, fifty k
Page 117 and 118: the earth for the bank coming from
Page 119 and 120: dates from the macrofossil remains
Page 121 and 122: New Research and Researchers Over t
Page 123 and 124: Probed Surveys: Erris, Céide Field
Page 125 and 126: Iron probes of varying lengths had
Page 127 and 128: Céide hill twenty five years earli
Page 129 and 130: Survey on the Glenamoy - Bartnatra
Page 131: Bungurra River drains the Knocknalo
Page 135 and 136: In 1936, 2 sub-rectangular cists, C
Page 137 and 138: Dooncarton Southwest slope 3.15 km
Page 139 and 140: The cross-section area occupied by
Page 141 and 142: No upper boundary was located on Kn
Page 143 and 144: The third house site, H3, on Gortme
Page 145 and 146: The 2 court tombs, Ma38 and Ma23, l
Page 147 and 148: This void is substantiated by exami
Page 149 and 150: Survey from Ballinglen to Rathfran
Page 151 and 152: Lissadrone basin. The peat cover is
Page 153 and 154: Two similar large round cairns are
Page 155 and 156: Wall Gaps Because of concealment an
Page 157 and 158: supported by an orthostat visible u
Page 159 and 160: and with different building techniq
Page 161 and 162: Survey Illustrations: Figure 1: Ove
Page 163 and 164: Figure 4: Seefin walls with associa
Page 165 and 166: Figure 7: Walls from the study area
Page 167 and 168: Figure 8: Cabintown Site A. 161
Page 169 and 170: Figure 11: Rathlackan sites H12 Fig
Page 171 and 172: Figure 15: Creevagh H5, Figure 16:
Page 173: Figure 19: Carrowkibbock Upper H20.
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo: Report 2011

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