Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo: Report 2011

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other associated monuments in this system are the two large circular house sites which could be comparable to the middle Bronze Age Belderg Beg site. On Seefin the field systems are more likely to be Neolithic in date, not only because of the two associated court tombs. On the south side of the hill a number of pine tree stumps are visible in the base of the peat and are clearly later than the field walls beneath. To the south of the hill the peat with the pine stumps extends across a broad level area where there are no field walls evident. The depth of peat beneath the trees becomes progressively deeper up to 1.8m. Two pine trees from each area have been dated. In Annaghmore a tree directly on top of a wall was dated to 3330-2870 cal BC (UCD-C26, 4350±60BP), and a second tree in the base of the peat just 3m from a wall was 3340-2920 cal BC(UCD-C50, 4440±60BP), Caulfield et al 1998. An identical date to this was obtained for a tree further to the south in Annaghbeg that grew on 1.8m of peat (UCD-C24), while a second tree on 1.4m of peat was 2470-2050 cal BC (UCD-C38, 3820±60BP). This indicates the peat was established in this area by middle Neolithic times. While the court tombs are on the hill sides the two similar round cairns are more prominently sited although neither is on the highest point of the hill. It would seem that, along with the similar Knockboha cairn on Carrowmore hill, they were deliberately sited to be visible from mutually exclusive areas. The dating of such cairns is problematic although O’Sullivan and Downey (2011) argue that a significant number could be classified as Passage Tombs. The central depression on the top of the Carrowcuilleen cairn Site B could indicate a collapsed chamber. The Aghaleague cairn Site A however has a surrounding ditch 2.0 – 2.5m wide and at least 1.25m deep which was located by probing. In Barnhill the only associated monuments are two court tombs while in the Carrowmore – Rathlackan area the greater variety of associated monuments indicates a more complex landscape. As elsewhere it is difficult to date the construction of all the field walls but the association with both court and wedge tombs could indicate use from at least the middle Neolithic into the Bronze Age. The excavations at the Rathlackan court tomb have shown ample artifactual and radiocarbon evidence for middle Neolithic activity with earlier activity hinted at by the presence of two sherds of an early Neolithic carinated bowl from the court. The house structure beside the tomb was dated to the late Neolithic from charcoal on the well preserved hearth and similar dates came from the court and rear chamber. The enclosure wall surrounding the house and built onto the side of the tomb may also have been built at this time. Use of the tomb in the Early Bronze Age was indicated by sherds of a Vase Urn in the rear chamber and a Cordoned Urn in the front chamber. However whether the surrounding fields were continuously used and inhabited throughout this long period is not yet clear. It is likely there were alterations to the field walls over time for example the wall extending from the Castletown Ma107 court tomb would seem to have been built after the tomb and prior to the N-S wall to the west of the tomb. The great variety in shape and size of the seventeen house structures in this area no doubt reflects varying functions as well as dates. The only secure dating evidence is for the excavated H13 which gave two late Neolithic dates of 2880-2490 cal BC (Beta-48102) and 2870-2450 cal BC (Beta-63836). Because of its unique small square shape, absence of artifacts and very high quantity of charcoal this site may have had a particular function in relation to activities associated with the tomb rather than as a regular dwelling site. Two other sites within enclosures and three round houses attached to the ends of field walls are likely to be contemporary with those walls. The six free standing structures are difficult to stratigraphically relate to the walls. Two structures are built against a long field wall 152
and with different building techniques, possibly indicating a later construction date to the field wall. One of these, H10, is built in the corner of a large field on the upper slopes of Carrowmore and it is overlain by a cairn 5m diameter and 0.8m high that may be a clearance cairn, (Figure 16). The three remaining house sites may also be later than the field walls as they may be built with stones robbed from those walls. The unusual egg shaped H12 (Figure 11) has a thin layer of peat under some stones and the H5 site (Figure 15) is comparable in shape and size to the structure in Trench 25 of the Céide Visitor Centre site. The overall variety of field walls, house structures and other monuments in this area no doubt indicates a complex history of activities over a long period of time from at least the middle Neolithic into the Bronze Age. 153
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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
Page 7 and 8:
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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Table 7 Wood identification details
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Table 8 Charcoal identifications fr
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Cutting Sample Date Feature Descrip
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Table 8 Sample assessment Rathlacka
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Phase F. S. Trench Deposit type Loc
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Behy-Glenulra: Céide Fields visito
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A possible midden (B2P) contained a
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Wild remains Hazelnut shell fragmen
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References Beijerinck, W. 1947. Zad
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Verrill, L. and Tipping, R. 2010. A
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Soils and Geology Graeme Warren Thi
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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 and 132: Bungurra River drains the Knocknalo
Page 133 and 134: The elevation of the tombs, all sit
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: supported by an orthostat visible u
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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