EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Sligo
Magheraboy, Co. Sligo
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure
Grid Reference: G68603500 (16860/33500)
SMR No: N/A.
Excavation Licence No: 03E0536
Excavation duration: April-November 2003
Site director: T. O’Neill (ACS)
An enclosure (external diameter of 40m), defined by a U-shaped ditch, 2.5m wide with an
average depth of about 1m, was discovered during topsoil stripping prior to road construction
(Fig. 262). It was located on the side of a south-facing slope, less than 200m to the west of
an upstanding enclosure (SL014-125). The site had been truncated by later agricultural
activity, and none of the bank survived; about half the site was excavated. A continuous
deposit of large stones in the upper layers of the ditch fill (Fig. 263) may represent a stone
wall built upon the bank. Alternatively, it may represent the stone revetment for its presumed
earthen bank. The ditch had no evidence for maintenance and appears to have been allowed
to naturally silt up over the life-time of the site.
The interior of the site produced no evidence for a formal structure, although these may have
existed in the unexcavated half of the site. The excavated half contained a series of pits, two
hearths and several possible postholes. The fill of one of these pits contained part of a rotary
quernstone and charred barley grains.
The site produced a small sample of animal bones (N=189); the high incidence of teeth
(N=106) being indicative of poor preservation. The minimum numbers of individuals was as
follows; Cattle = 4, Sheep/goat = 5, Pig = 2, Deer = 2. Horse = 1. The charred grain
assemblages were dominated by barley with smaller quantities of wheat and oats. Wood
charcoal comprises oak (six samples); willow (four samples); crab-apple/apple/pear (three
samples); hazel (three samples); alder (two samples); and alder (one sample).
The only early medieval finds from the site were a blue glass bead and a copper-alloy ring
pin. Charred grain from the pit produced a radiocarbon date of A.D. 685-892; and charcoal
from the two hearths produced dates of A.D. 694-1017 and A.D. 1040-1271. A general
construction date was obtained from immediately above the primary silting of the ditch (see
below), although unfortunately this date had a large error of ± 80 years.
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