Prehistoric site - lithic scatter

The National Monuments Service's description

This lithic scatter was discovered after peat extraction in 1999. It is characterised by a lithic assemblage (282 pieces) comprised almost exclusively of chert (270 pieces), two axes, some coarse stone tools and a small range of organic finds including uncarbonised hazelnut shells. The assemblage focused on the production of blades and flakes with a lsight dominance of blade cores being present. Three radiocarbon dates from hazelnut shells were obtained though these are not demonstrably associated with the lithics. Combining the three provides a date of 5470-5400 cal. BC (19.7%) or 5390-5300 cal. BC (75.7%) which are in keeping with late Mesolithic stone-tool technology. Although the assemblage is derived from a surface collection, and suffers from some of the problems associated with this, the site at Corralanna offers a significant contribution to our understanding of Mesolithic settlement in the Midlands, an area rich in Mesolithic archaeology. (Warren, Little and Stanley 2009)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 23 October 2012

References

Warren, G., Little, A. and Stanley, M. 2009 A late Mesolithic lithic scatter from Corralanna, Co. Westmeath, and its place in the Mesolithic landscape of the Irish midlands. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 109C, 1-35.