Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Excavation of a pit in Maglass which was excavated by Tracy Collins in 2000 under licence No. 00E0202, the results of which were summarised as follows; 'This excavation of a feature uncovered during the monitoring of the N21 construction, Ballycarty to Killally, Phase 2, took place on 19 April 2000. The feature at Maglass East was subcircular, and initial cleaning had shown that it had been truncated; but its full extent was visible in the eastern baulk of the road-take.
The fill was a reddish-brown, sandy clay with moderate charcoal flecking. The cut was oval in plan with a well-rounded base depth of 0.07m but originally was closer to 0.2m. The feature measured 1m north–south by 1m, although this measurement was obscured where the feature ran under the baulk.
Owing to the feature’s truncation, function is only speculative. It is possible that it was not an isolated pit, and other undisturbed examples may lie closeby, off the road-take. Similar features have been discovered in the vicinity, most notably by the writer at Rockfield (Excavations 1999, 115, 99E0323) and by Frank Coyne at Cloghermore (Excavations 1999, 112–13, 99E0130)' (Collins 2002, 147; www.excavations.ie 2000:0438). The precise location of this excavated pit has not been verified.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 22 June 2022

References

Collins, T. 2002 Maglass, pit. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2000: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 147.