Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo: Report 2011

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The presence of common sorrel and docks seeds in deposits at Rathlackan, and knotweeds seeds at Belderg Beg may represent plants that were growing locally. Common sorrel may have been gathered for consumption, as it provides leaves and flowering heads that can be eaten as leafy greens (Mears and Hillman 2007, 261). The knotweeds seeds at Belderg Beg may similarly represent locally growing weeds, or plants that were growing alongside the cereals and inadvertently harvested, Recommendation for retention/deaccessioning It is recommended that the charred plant macro-remains from this site should be retained for any future analyses that may be carried out. Future investigations may utilise new scientific analyses of previously excavated material, including further radiocarbon dating. A recent development in archaeological science is the ability to carry out 14 C AMS dating on single plant components (e.g. a seed or nutshell fragment). The remains of annual plants – such as hazelnut shell and cereal grains – are ideal material for radiocarbon dating, as they are more likely to produce narrow date-ranges when compared with longer-lived species (e.g. wood charcoal). Another recent development in archaeological science is the exploration of palaeo-diets and agricultural reconstruction through the analysis of crop stable isotope ratios. The practice of manuring (use of animal dung as fertiliser to enhance crop yields) causes substantial enrichment of crop 15N ratios, which can be detected through the scientific analysis of charred cereal grains (Bogaard et al. 2007). Stable isotope analysis of the cereal grains at Belderg Beg could therefore provide new insights into agricultural practices in Bronze Age Ireland. This material requires relatively little storage space. Charred remains are stable and do not usually require additional conservation when stored in an appropriate manner (e.g. in welllabelled hard-cased vials). Conclusions Analysis of archaeobotanical remains from four sites – Rathlackan court tomb, Behy- Glenulra (Céide Fields) visitor centre, Glenulra scatter, and Belderg Beg roundhouse and field system – produced evidence for a small quantity of cultivated and wild remains. Archaeobotanical material was absent from the examined samples at Glenulra scatter and the Céide Fields visitor centre. Deposits at Rathlackan provided evidence for a range of plants that may have been gathered as foodstuffs, including hazelnut, crab-apple, bramble and common sorrel. These potential foodstuffs may have been consumed during activities at the tomb, such as burial ceremonies, or may have been deposited to accompany or represent the dead. Hazel, crab-apple and bramble shrubs may also have been utilised in the prehistoric field systems of North Mayo, perhaps providing material for organic boundaries in the sub-division of the larger stone-built field walls. Barley remains were recorded at the entrance to the house at Belderg Beg, representing the only cultivated remains identified from any of these sites. Hazelnut shell and knotweed remains were also present. The presence of cereal remains complements other archaeological evidence at Belderg Beg, including the field system and quern stones, indicating that cereal-related activities were taking place at this location. 92
References Beijerinck, W. 1947. Zadenatlas der Nederlandsche Flora. Wageningen: H. Veenman & Zonen. Bogaard, A., Heaton, T.H.E., Poulton, P. and Merbach, I. 2007. The impact of manuring on nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals: archaeological implications for reconstruction of diet and crop management practices. Journal of Archaeological Science 34, 335–43. Brück, J. 1999a. Houses, lifecycles and depositions on Middle Bronze Age settlements in southern England. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 65, 145–66. Brück, J. 1999b. Ritual and rationality: some problems of interpretation in European archaeology. European Journal of Archaeology 2(3), 313–44. Brück, J. 2006. Fragmentation, personhood and the social construction of technology in Middle and Late Bronze Age Britain. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 16(3), 297–315. Caulfield, S. 1978. Neolithic fields. In H.C. Bowen and P.J. Fowler (eds), Early land allotment in the British Isles: a survey of recent work, 137–43. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports British Series 48. Caulfield, S., Byrne, G., Downes, M., Dunne, N., Warren, G., Rathbone, S., McIlreavy, D. and Walsh, P. 2009. Archaeological excavations at Belderg Beg (E109) Stratigraphic report. Excavation report prepared for UCD School of Archaeology. Downloaded from http://www.ucd.ie/archaeology/research/researcha-z/nbnm/ in December 2010. Cleary, K. 2006. Irish Bronze Age settlements: more than meets the eye? Archaeology Ireland 20(2), 18–21. Elder, S.D. 2009. M3 Clonee–North of Kells Motorway. Report on the archaeological excavation of Castletown Tara 1, Co. Meath; Ministerial Directions No. A008/025; E3078. ACS Ltd. Downloaded from http://www.m3motorway.ie/Archaeology/Section2/CastletownTara1/ in December 2010. 93
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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
Page 47 and 48: When the charcoal is examined throu
Page 49 and 50: at Glenulra scatter. Alder was iden
Page 51 and 52: een freely available in the area. T
Page 53 and 54: References Byrne, G., Warren, G., W
Page 55 and 56: Verrill, L. and Tipping, R. 2010. U
Page 57 and 58: Table 3 Charcoal identifications fr
Page 59 and 60: Sample Date Ctg Context Description
Page 61 and 62: Sample Date Ctg Context Description
Page 63 and 64: Sample Trench Time period Descripti
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: Wild remains Hazelnut shell fragmen
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 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
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Survey from Ballinglen to Rathfran
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Lissadrone basin. The peat cover is
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Two similar large round cairns are
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Wall Gaps Because of concealment an
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supported by an orthostat visible u
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and with different building techniq
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Survey Illustrations: Figure 1: Ove
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Figure 4: Seefin walls with associa
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Figure 7: Walls from the study area
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Figure 8: Cabintown Site A. 161
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Figure 11: Rathlackan sites H12 Fig
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Figure 15: Creevagh H5, Figure 16:
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Figure 19: Carrowkibbock Upper H20.
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo: Report 2011

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