Barrow - embanked barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on the NE-facing shoulder of a drumlin. This barrow was partially excavated by Keane and Farrelly (1993, 56; 1994, 71) in 1992 and 1993. It was described prior to excavation as a concave circular area (int. diam. 9m) raised slightly above the external ground level and enclosed by an earth and stone bank (Wth 1.4m; ext. H 0.6m); a gap (Wth 4m) was noted in the bank at E; faint traces of an external fosse were visible along the N arc; the interior sloped gently to E and the bank height diminished towards E (Keane and Farrelly 1993, 56). Excavation revealed that the bank and fosse continue all round and that the possible entrance at E was a worn down section of bank (Keane and Farrelly 1994, 71). An oblong pit (1.5m x 0.8m), containing a dump of stones in a charcoal-rich sandy clay was uncovered in the NE quadrant. A large modern pit (3.4m N-S; 3.8m E-W) was also excavated in the interior which truncated all the internal layers in the other cuttings (ibid.). No evidence for house structures was found which suggests that this was not a habitation site and this is supported by the continuous bank and fosse (ibid.). Finds included quantities of worked chert and a flint thumb scraper (ibid.). A radiocarbon date obtained from charcoal from the base of the bank places the construction of this barrow in the Iron Age (Farrelly and Keane 2002, 100). There is a mound barrow (SL039-010----) in the adjoining field c. 190m to S and a ring-barrow (SL039-011----) c. 230m to SE. A cairn (SL040-008----) on Kesh Corann Hill is visible in the distance to E. Listed by Farrelly and Keane (2002, 98).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008