Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Visible on aerial photographs (OS 1, 3322), and situated in a fold of the gentle N-facing slope of a ridge. This is a rectangular grass-covered area (dims 31.4m N-S; 27.6m E-W) defined by a scarp (H 0.05-0.65m) at N and S and a moat or ditch (Wth of top 4.8-7.5m; D 0.5-0.6m) at E and W. Archaeological testing (19E0276) by A. Wallace and N. Fitch on the line of a water-pipe excavated a large area (dims c. 35m E-W; c. 10m N-S) including sections through the ditch at W (Wth 2.45m; max. D 0.75m) and E (Wth 2.2m; max. D 0.9m), but the two fills in the W and the three in the E ditches were sterile. There was a small bank (Wth 1.9-2m; int. H 0.15m) inside the W ditch, and there were nine irregularly spaced post-holes in the interior. A burnt spread (dims 1.55m x 0.9m; max. D 0.21m) inside the W bank produced a C14 date of 4344-4234 cal. BC, which is probably the only reliable dating evidence. A barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, recovered in the initial clean-back of the top of the ditch at W, and two flint flakes were the only artefacts recovered (excavations.ie 2019:730). (Fitch and Wallace 2020)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 29th September, 2010
Amended: 5 August 2021

References

Fitch, N. and Wallace, A. 2020 Final Report on Archaeological Excavation at (RO006-128----) Moated Site / Square enclosure at Carrickmore, Boyle, Co. Roscommon. Licence: 190276. Unpublished report, Atlantic Archaeology