Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Close to the W edge of Aughinish Island, in area now occupied by an industrial complex (Aughinish Alumina). The site was excavated in 1974 prior to the industrial development. It consisted of a roughly circular area (diam. 35m) enclosed by a bank revetted internally and externally with limestone slabs and having a rubble core (Kelly 1974). Excavation showed the site was built directly on bedrock, though 'there was evidence of levelling and clearance of the jagged bed-rock in one area suggesting a house site' (ibid.). Also uncovered were two large rock-cut pits and 'traces of an occupation layer underlying the internal wall collapse, which produced coarse pottery, a heavily corroded iron bridle bit, a bronze chisel and pin and two saddle querns' (ibid.). These finds led the excavator to conclude that 'the site was built and occupied exclusively during the Late Bronze Age' (ibid.). A similar site was excavated at the same time 200m to the SE (LI010-019---).

Compiled by: Denis Power

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Kelly, E. 1974 Aughinish Island: sites 1 and 2. In T.G. Delaney (ed.), Excavations 1972-4, 21. Belfast. Association of Young Irish Archaeologists and Ulster Archaeological Society.