Archaeological Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION REPORT N59 MOYCULLEN BYPASS, CO. GALWAY KILLARAINY 2 SITE TYPE: CHARCOAL-PRODUCTION KILN

MINISTERIAL DIRECTIONS NO. A067 REGISTRATION NO.: E4576

ON BEHALF OF GALWAY COUNTY COUNCIL

ITM: 521007, 733353

LICENCEE: SHANE DELANEY AUTHOR: SHANE DELANEY

REPORT TYPE: FINAL EXCAVATION REPORT REPORT STATUS: FINAL DATE: 14 OCTOBER 2015

Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following in bringing the project to a successful conclusion:

National Roads Authority Jerry O’ Sullivan Project Archaeologist

National Monuments Section, DoAHG Mark Keegan Archaeologist

Halcrow Barry Engineering Gabriel Dooley Senior Engineer Michael Naughton Resident Engineer

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD i Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

ABSTRACT

The following report describes the results of an archaeological excavation at Killarainy 2 (Registration No.: E4576 and under Ministerial Directions A067), which was located along the route of the N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway. The site at Killarainy 2 was discovered during advance archaeological testing undertaken in 2014 by IAC Ltd (Ryan 2014; Registration No.: E4512).

Stage (iii) excavation work at Killarainy 2 was undertaken from the 21 to 23 October 2014.

Killarainy 2 was the remains of a charcoal-production kiln/clamp. Post-excavation analysis revealed that the timber reduced to charcoal in the charcoal-production kiln/clamp was oak. Coppiced oak woods may have been present and sourced for charcoal production in the immediate Killarainy area. A sample of oak charcoal returned a calibrated AMS result of AD 784–990 (Appendix 2.2), indicating a date in the early medieval period for this charcoal-production kiln/clamp.

ii IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... III ABSTRACT ...... IIIIII CONTENTS ...... IIIIIIIII List of Figures ...... iv List of Plates ...... iv 1.1.1. INTRODUCTION ...... 111 1.1 General ...... 1 1.2 The development ...... 1 1.3 Topography & site description ...... 1 1.4 Previous archaeological investigation ...... 2 222 MMMETHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY ...... 333 2.1 Stage (iii) excavation methodology ...... 3 2.2 Stage (iv) post-excavation methods ...... 3 333 EXCAVATION RESULTS ...... 555 3.1 Natural geology...... 5 3.2 Charcoal-production kiln/clamp ...... 5 3.3 Topsoil ...... 6 444 SYNTHESIS ...... 777 4.1 Landscape Setting ...... 7 4.2 The early medieval landscape ...... 7 4.3 Charcoal-production kilns ...... 7 4.4 Summary of the specialist analyses ...... 9 555 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 101010 5.1 Discussion ...... 10 5.2 Conclusions ...... 10 666 REFERENCESREFERENCES...... 121212 APPENDIX 1 CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA ...... III Appendix 1.1 Context Register ...... i Appendix 1.2 Catalogue of Artefacts...... i Appendix 1.3 Catalogue of Samples ...... ii Appendix 1.4 Archive Register ...... iii APPENDIX 2 SPECIALIST REPORTS ...... IVIVIV Appendix 2.1 Charcoal and Wood Report – Ellen O’Carroll ...... v Appendix 2.2 Radiocarbon Dating – QUB Laboratory ...... x

FIGURES

PLATES

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD iii Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Killarainy 2 - Site location Figure 2 Killarainy 2 - Site location and scheme Figure 3 Location of sites Killarainy 1–5 Figure 4 Killarainy 2 - Site plan and section

LIST OF PLATES Plate 1 Killarainy 2 pre-excavation, facing west Plate 2 Killarainy 2 pre-excavation, facing southwest Plate 3 Killarainy 2 mid-excavation, facing southwest Plate 4 Killarainy 2, facing south

iv IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL This report presents the results of the Stage (iii) Excavation and Stage (iv) Post- Excavation Services at Killarainy 2 carried out in the townland of Killarainy, Co. Galway (Figures 1–2). This work was undertaken as part of an archaeological mitigation program completed under the Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract for the N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway. Archaeological fieldwork was directed by Shane Delaney of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC) under Registration Number E4576 (Ministerial Directions A067) as issued by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DoAHG) in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). The work was undertaken on behalf of Galway County Council and it took place between 21 and 23 October 2014.

The purpose of the Stage (iii) Excavation Services was to preserve by record through appropriate rescue excavation any significant archaeological features or deposits discovered by earlier investigations, so as to mitigate impacts on the archaeological remains discovered within the footprint of the project.

1.2 THE DEVELOPMENT The development context of the excavations described here is the construction of the N59 Moycullen Bypass, in County Galway (Figure 1). It will extend north and east of the village, from the townland of Drimcong, c. 1.5 km northwest of Maigh Cuilinn (Moycullen), to the townland of Claídeach (Clydagh) c. 2 km to southeast, over a distance of 4.3 km, on 37.9 ha of land acquired by Galway County Council. The project will involve construction of a new single-carriageway road, as well as all ancillary works, roundabouts, footpaths and cycleways, bridge structures and realignments of some local roads where they are intersected by the bypass as approved by An Bord Pleanála on 15 November 2012.

1.3 TOPOGRAPHY & SITE DESCRIPTION The proposed scheme is located in the townlands of Druim Cong (Drimcong), Cill Ráine (Killarainy), Liagán (Leagaun), Maigh Cuilinn (Moycullen), Baile Uí Chuirc Thiar (Ballyquirke West), Baile Uí Chuirc Thoir (Ballyquirke East), Coill Bhruachláin (Kylebroghlan), Ogúil (Uggool) and Claídeach (Clydagh) in the parish and barony of Moycullen. The scheme is located to the east and northeast of both the N59 and the village of Moycullen. The hilly terrain to the southwest is characterised by peaty acid soils on granite bedrock. The lake basin to the northeast has clay and alluvial soils on limestone bedrock. Several watercourses drain the higher ground and the primary of these, the Loughkip River south of Moycullen, is crossed by the scheme. To the north and east Moycullen is fringed by a series of smaller lakes in the Lough Corrib basin, including Ballyquirke Lake. The lands acquired for the project extend over 37.9 ha of improved pasture fields, woodland, peat bog and the partly built-up outskirts of the village.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 1 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

Killarainy 2 lies at c. 13 m Ordnance Datum (OD) and is located in the parish of Moycullen (Figure 2). The site is located in pasture at National Grid Ref.: 521007, 733353 (ITM). It was cleared of scrub and rock by the present landowner’s family in the recent past (pers comm. Mr Pat Feeney).

1.4 PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION A programme of Stage (i) testing for this scheme was undertaken in the townlands of Drimcong, Killarainy, Leagaun, Moycullen, Ballyquirke West, Ballyquirke East, Kylebroghlan, Uggool and Clydagh, Co. Galway in June and July 2014 (Ryan 2014; Registration No. E4512). A total of 26,682 square metres of archaeological test trenches were excavated across the bypass scheme and at one location of higher potential near a cairn, outside the road footprint, by Ballyquirke Lake a further 3,390 square metres was stripped of topsoil by machine. Nine sites of archaeological significance, Killarainy 1–7, Ballyquirke East 1 and Clydagh 1, were identified as part of this testing. Of these, three sites comprising isolated hearths and spreads (Killarainy 6, Killarainy 7 and Clydagh 1) were resolved during Stage (ii) pre-excavation services (testing) and area described in the corresponding Stage (i) report.

The excavation results for Killarainy 1 are presented here and the remaining sites Killarainy 2 (E4576), Killarainy 3 (E4577), Killarainy 4 (E4578), Killarainy 5 (E4579) and Ballyquirke East 1 (E4580) will be discussed in separate reports.

A review of the Excavations Bulletin (1970–2010) revealed that several programs of previous archaeological testing have been undertaken in Moycullen in addition to the Stage (i) testing for this scheme (Ryan 2014). However none of these had identified any features of archaeological significance (Elliot 2000, Crumlish 2001 and Casey 2005).

2 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 STAGE (III) EXCAVATION METHODOLOGY Stage (iii) excavation services on this present road project include:

• excavation of all sites in accordance with the specification in the contract and agreed method statements • all necessary on-site illustration, photography, survey and recording to meet requirements as detailed in the specification and method statements • initial processing, flotation, sieving of all soil samples taken from the excavation and appropriate bagging of all extracted environmental samples • initial artefact/find stabilisation and conservation • preparation of Stage (iii) - Preliminary Excavation Report(s).

The Stage (iii) method statement for Killarainy 2 as agreed with the client called for the following work to be undertaken at the site.

The excavation area measured c. 318 sq m and topsoil was stripped at Killarainy 2 by mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket under strict archaeological supervision.

All archaeological features revealed were cleaned by hand and excavated and recorded using customised field record sheets or 'context sheets', as well as supporting records in the form of registers or lists of drawings, photographs, and the excavation director's field diary. All archaeological features found were drawn to scale, photographed and Ordnance Datum levels taken. Comprehensive drawings were produced at appropriate scales.

Appropriate sampling, as per Stage (iii) Environmental Remains Strategy, was undertaken and the samples will be processed as per the strategy.

The excavation area and the locations of any features recorded within them were recorded by our qualified surveyors using GPS survey equipment and have been tied into the National Grid for the report illustrations.

2.2 STAGE (IV) POST-EXCAVATION METHODS All post-excavation works were carried out in accordance with the relevant approvals and in consultation and agreement with the National Roads Authority (NRA) Project Archaeologist, the National Monuments Section of the DoAHG and the NMI. Where necessary licences to alter and export archaeological objects were sought from the NMI.

Dating of the samples from the site was carried out by means of AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) Radiocarbon Dating of identified and recommended wood samples. The calibrated radiocarbon date in this report is quoted to two-sigma (95% probability) level of confidence.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 3 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

Final Report Date Ranges The following date ranges for Irish prehistory and medieval periods are used for this final report (after Carlin et al. 2008).

Mesolithic: 7000–4000 BC Neolithic: 4000–2500 BC Early Bronze Age: 2500–1700 BC Middle Bronze Age: 1700–1200 BC Late Bronze Age: 1200–800 BC Iron Age: 800 BC–AD 500 Early medieval period: AD 500–1100 Medieval period: AD 1100–1600 Post-medieval period: AD 1600–1800

4 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

3 EXCAVATION RESULTS

3.1 NATURAL GEOLOGY

Contexts FILL L W D CONTEXT BASIC DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION OF (m) (m) (m) C2 N/A N/A N/A N/A Mid-orange sandy silty clay Subsoil

Finds: None

Interpretation The natural subsoil at the site consisted of a mid-orange sandy clay. The archaeological activity on the site was cut into the glacial till subsoil.

3.2 CHARCOAL-PRODUCTION KILN/CLAMP

Contexts FILL L W D CONTEXT BASIC DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION OF (m) (m) (m) Rectangular shaped pit, steep sides, Charcoal-production C3 1.87 1.41 0.46 concave base kiln/clamp Light grey sandy clay and stones Upper fill of charcoal- C4 C3 1.87 1.41 0.40 production kiln/clamp Charcoal-rich deposit Basal fill of charcoal- C5 C3 1.87 1.41 0.22 production kiln/clamp C6 C3 0.49 1.41 0.14 Subsoil Re-deposited subsoil

Finds: None

Interpretation C3 was a rectangular pit with steep sides and a concave to flat base (Figure 3; Plates 1–4). The remnants of charcoal production within the pit were evident as a charcoal deposit (C5) that sealed a visible area of burning. This was sealed by a re-deposited subsoil layer (C6) which may represent disturbance when the charcoal was removed. The upper fill was a loose backfill of sandy clay (C4).

The material analysed is the remnants of oak charcoal that was produced in the clamp. This charcoal may have been produced for use in other industrial processes such as metalworking in the Killarainy area during the early medieval period. Coppiced oak woods may have been present and used to source timber for the charcoal production process.

A sample of oak charcoal from C5, the charcoal rich basal fill of the charcoal- production kiln/clamp, returned an AMS result of 1120 ± 25 BP (UBA 29110). The two- sigma calibrated result for this was AD 784–990 (QUB, Appendix 2.2) placing its use in the early medieval period.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 5 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

3.3 TOPSOIL

Contexts FILL L W D CONTEXT BASIC DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION OF (m) (m) (m) 1 N/A N/A N/A 0.40 A mid-brown silty clay Topsoil

Finds: None

Interpretation The topsoil at Killarainy 1 consisted of a mid-brown silty clay and this sealed the charcoal-production kiln/clamp. Throughout the Killarainy area there was evidence for agricultural furrows cutting the subsoil indicating that the topsoil across the area had been tilled. The furrows were widely spaced and up to 1 m apart, indicating that they were spade dug. The area was depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps as woodland which was later removed and the land improved for tillage and more recently pasture. The landowner recalled that hollows, prone to flooding to the east of the field alongside a wetland, had been filled with bedrock and stone walls cleared from the centre of the field in the recent past (pers comm. Mr Pat Feeney). Scorched clay was also noted throughout the topsoil indicating that ‘paring and burning’ was practised as a means of fertiliser at Killarainy. This process required the upper sod to be removed, dried, burnt and then spread back over the soil to enrich it (Bell and Watson 2009, 71).

6 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

4 SYNTHESIS

The synthesis presents the combined results of all of the archaeological analyses carried out at Killarainy 2. This includes the analysis of the physical and archaeological landscape, the compilation of information gathered during research into the site type, date, and function, and the results of the excavation and specialist analyses of samples taken during the course of on-site works.

4.1 LANDSCAPE SETTING Killarainy 2 lies at c. 13 m Ordnance Datum (OD) and is located in the parish of Moycullen (Figure 2). The site is located c. 700 m northwest of Moycullen village and c. 120 m northeast of the existing N59 road.

4.2 THE EARLY MEDIEVAL LANDSCAPE During the early medieval period Ireland was not a united country but rather a patchwork of minor kingdoms all scrambling for dominance, with their borders ever changing as alliances were formed and battles fought. Kingdoms were a conglomerate of clannish principalities with the basic territorial unit known as a túath . It is estimated that there were probably at least 150 kings in Ireland at any given time during this period, each ruling over his own túath . These kings were distributed strategically throughout the region and ruled over many tribal units.

The most common indicator of settlement during the early medieval period is the ringfort. Ringforts, (also known as rath , lios, caiseal, cathair and dún ) are a type of defended homestead comprising of a central site enclosed by a number of circular banks and ditches. Cashels are more frequent in the west of the country and an example is recorded in Killarainy townland (RMP GA068–026) c. 250 m east of Killarainy 1–5.

This period was also characterised by the introduction of Christianity to Ireland. The new religion was a catalyst for many changes, one of the most important being literacy. Irish was written down for the first time using the ogham script. The ogham alphabet is thought to be based on the Latin alphabet of the later Roman Empire and today the majority of the inscriptions that survive are located on pillar stones or boulders. Teampall Éinne, an early ecclesiastical site with a 10th century church is recorded in Kilagoola townland, on Cill Ogúla hill (RMP GA81–011), c. 2 km east of the road project.

4.3 CHARCOAL-PRODUCTION KILNS Charcoal-production kilns/clamps were essential to the ironworking process as charcoal was used as a fuel in the smelting and forging stages. Very little was known about early charcoal-production until recently (O’Sullivan and Harney 2008, 198). However, there has been an ever increasing discovery of such sites during the boom in development-led archaeology and excavations of charcoal-production kilns are beginning to feature in recent publications (Carlin et al. 2008; Delaney et al. 2012, Grogan et al. 2007; Hull and Taylor 2006).

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 7 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

An unpublished paper by Niall Kenny (2008) has identified approximately 100 charcoal-production kilns in Ireland that range in plan from rectangular, oval and circular, with sub-variations of these, and there is an approximately equal amount of each type. It appears, on current evidence, that the classic type is large and rectangular in plan, such as Hardwood 3, Co. Meath for example, where long carbonised pieces of oak were found along the axis of the kiln that made up almost 100% of the deposit (Carlin et al. 2008, 101). The rectangular kilns tend to be larger than oval and circular types with an average length of 2.5 m but they can also be as long as 4 m. The oval kilns tend to be shallower than the other types, while the circular examples are usually smaller but deeper compared to rectangular and oval charcoal-production kilns ( ibid. ).

Charcoal-production kilns are identifiable archaeologically as earth-cut pits, with charcoal-rich fills, and evidence for extensive in situ burning along the base and sides. Those discovered along the M4 were rectangular or sub-rectangular in plan ( ibid .). However, it is important to stress that charcoal-production kilns, such as Hardwood 3 and Kilmaniheen West 10 and 12, Co. Kerry (Hull and Taylor 2006, 29-30), were recognisable because the carbonised wood had survived in situ upon excavation. These kilns were abandoned possibly due to the charcoal becoming wet, which left it useless as a fuel. Successful kilns would not leave abundant charcoal within their primary fills so would appear archaeologically as heat-scorched pits probably containing only moderate amounts of charcoal. This, therefore, conveys the problems of positively identifying charcoal-production kilns as many charcoal yields will have been previously removed.

The majority of charcoal-production kilns are located away from settlements and close to resources required for the primary ironworking processes such as bog and woodlands. Large quantities of trees were required for charcoal-production and, similarly, large quantities of iron ore, available within surrounding bogs (Mytum 1992, 230; Raftery 1994, 147), were needed during the smelting process. Therefore, it made sense, logistically and for safety reasons, for charcoal-production kilns to be situated at a distance from dwellings and farms and close to available raw materials. Kenny’s (2008, 20–2) research has also shown that the majority of kilns are located on sloping and agriculturally unproductive ground and drainage was probably an important factor because it was imperative to keep the charcoal dry.

Radiocarbon dates are beginning to emerge from a number of charcoal-production kilns. Of those dated, the majority appear to date to the latter part of the early medieval period. The kilns at Hardwood 3, Rossan 3, Ardnamullan and Newcastle 2, Counties Meath and Westmeath, excavated along the M4, returned radiocarbon dates between the eighth and thirteenth centuries (Carlin et al. 2008, 88). The dates appear to converge at a point between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Kilns at Kilmaniheen West, Co. Kerry, and Barefield, Co. Clare, also returned radiocarbon dates spanning the latter part of the early medieval period (Hull and Taylor 2006). A circular kiln at Mondaniel 2, Co. Cork, was dated to AD 1420 −1640 (Kenny 2008, 18) but, on current evidence, charcoal-production kilns generally date to the latter part of

8 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576 the early medieval period into the early years of the later middle ages. Therefore, it appears that charcoal-production was at its most prolific during these years but dating of further features may alter this picture.

4.4 SUMMARY OF THE SPECIALIST ANALYSES Specialist analyses of samples recovered from the site was undertaken as part of the post-excavation works. The detailed reports on the results of all analyses are in Appendix 2.

Charcoal Analysis -Ellen O’Carroll The material analysed is the remnants of oak charcoal that was produced in the kiln/clamp and may have been produced for use in other industrial processes such as metalworking in the Killarainy area during the early medieval period. Coppiced oak woods may have been present and used as a source of timber for charcoal production.

Radiocarbon Dating - QUB Laboratory A sample of oak charcoal (0.7 g) from C5, the charcoal rich basal fill of the charcoal- production kiln/clamp, returned an AMS result of 1120 ± 25 BP (UBA 29110). The two- sigma calibrated result for this was AD 784–990 (QUB, Appendix 2.2).

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 9 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

5.1 DISCUSSION The material analysed is the remnants of oak charcoal that was produced in the kiln/clamp and may have been produced for use in other industrial processes such as metalworking in the Killarainy area during the early medieval period. As some of the oak wood was recorded as fast growth it is possible that the oak was selected from a coppiced wood. The use of quickly renewable oak coppiced trees would have been the most efficient method of sustaining a continuous supply of fuel for use in these charcoal-production kilns.

Oak charcoal from the charcoal rich basal fill of the kiln/clamp, returned an AMS result of 1120±25 BP (UBA 29110). The two-sigma calibrated result for this was AD 784–990 (Appendix 2.2), indicating a date in the early medieval period for the use of the charcoal-production kiln/clamp.

5.2 CONCLUSIONS The pit is an early medieval charcoal-production kiln/clamp dating to AD 784–990. It may have been used to produce charcoal for use in a metalworking furnace close by, with the metalworker possibly exploiting iron pan from the adjacent wetland. The medieval date also concurs with the use and presence of such pits in Ireland. The pit may have been associated with activities associated with the encampment site at Killarainy 5 which had a contemporary date of AD 901–1023 (UBA 29116). Oak was also the dominant wood type identified from the site at Killarainy 5 (O Carroll, Appendix 2.1).

Charcoal-production pits generally date through the Iron Age to the medieval period and are often linked to iron working where the charcoal was used as a fuel in furnaces. Charcoal is produced from the incomplete combustion of wood. It was used as an effective fuel, much more so than wood or turf for example, during the smelting and forging stages of iron working. It was produced through the placement of wood, mainly oak, in earth-cut pits that were covered by layers of straw or bracken and were then sealed by a layer of earth or turf. In this kind of atmosphere, over a period of some 24 hours, good quality charcoal could be produced. This was a labour-intensive process that required careful supervision and plentiful raw materials. The identification of increasing numbers of charcoal-production kilns emphasises that it was a much more widespread industrial activity than previously considered and that it was an essential component of the iron production process. Although not rare the excavation of the charcoal-production pit at Killarainy 2 is an important addition to

10 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576 the early medieval archaeology of the local area and adds to our knowledge of charcoal-production in the wider regional area.

Another charcoal-production kiln was excavated at Killarainy 4 and oak was the main taxa used and identified from there (ibid. ). However the dates of the Killarainy pits place them in the later medieval period. Interestingly this tradition of charcoal production was carried on in the twentieth century as the present landowner Pat Feeney (pers comm.) recalled a family tradition of charcoal burning in the former woodland of Killarainy.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 11 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

6 REFERENCES

Bell, J. and Watson, M. 2009 A history of Irish Farming 1750–1950 . England. Four Courts Press.

Carlin, N. with contributions by V. Ginn, and J. Kinsella 2008 Ironworking and production: an evaluation and assessment of the metallurgical evidence. In N. Carlin, L. Clarke and F. Walsh, The Archaeology of Life and Death on the Boyne Floodplain: The Linear Landscape of the M4 , 87–112. Dublin, National Roads Authority, Wordwell.

Carlin, N., Clarke, L. & Walsh, F. 2008 The M4 Kinnegad-Enfield-Kilcock Motorway: The Archaeology of Life and Death on the Boyne Floodplain . NRA Monograph Series No. 2, Wordwell, Bray.

Delaney, S., Bayley, D., Lyne, E., McNamara, S., Molloy, K. and Nunan J. 2012 Borderlands - Archaeological excavations along the M18 Gort to Crusheen road scheme . NRA Monograph Series.

Grogan, E. O’Donnell, L. and Johnston, P. 2007 The Bronze Age Landscapes of the Pipeline to the West . Bray, Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd and Wordwell

Hull, G. and Taylor, K. 2006 Archaeological sites on the route of the N21 Castleisland to Abbeyfeale road improvement scheme, Co. Kerry. Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society , 666,6 5–59.

Kenny, N. 2008 Charcoal Production and Ironworking: A Selection of Sites from the M7/M8. Unpublished report prepared for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.

Mytum, H. 1992 The Origins of Early Christian Ireland . London, Routledge.

National Roads Authority 2005 Guidelines for the Assessment of Archaeological Impact of National Road Schemes.

O’Sullivan, A. and Harney, L. 2008 The Early Medieval Archaeology Project: Investigating the character of early medieval archaeological excavations, 1970-2002. Unpublished report prepared for the Heritage Council. Dublin, UCD School of Archaeology.

Raftery, B. 1994 Pagan Celtic Ireland: The Enigma of the Irish Iron Age . London, Thames and Hudson.

Ryan, J. 2014 Stage (i) Testing Report for the M59 Moycullen Bypass (E4512 ). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd for Galway County Council.

CARTOGRAPHIC SOURCES Ordnance Survey maps of County Galway 1838–9, 1912–16

12 IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

ELECTRONIC SOURCES www.archaeology.ie – DoAHG website listing all SMR sites with aerial photographs www.osi.ie – Ordnance Survey aerial photographs (1995, 2000 & 2005) and historic OS mapping (first edition 6” and 25”) www.buildingsofireland.ie – Website listing the results of the NIAH survey for Galway www.excavations.ie – Summary of archaeological excavation from 1970 −2010

Casey, M. 2005 ‘Moycullen, 05E1176’, Excavations.ie database of Irish excavation reports , 2005:633 http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Galway&id=13699

Crumlish, R. 2001 ‘Moycullen, 01E0929’, Excavations.ie database of Irish excavation reports , 2001:524 http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Galway&id=6479

Elliot, R. 2000 ‘Moycullen, 00E0513’, Excavations.ie database of Irish excavation reports , 2000:0399 http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Galway&id=4673

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD 13 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 1 CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA

APPENDIX 1.1 CONTEXT REGISTER FILL CONTEXT L(M) W(M) D(M) BASIC DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION FINDS OF C1 All All 0.40 A mid-brown silty clay Topsoil

C2 All All A mid-orange sandy, silty clay Subsoil

C3 1.87 1.41 0.46 Rectangular shaped pit, steep sides, concave base Charcoal-production kiln/clamp Light grey sandy clay and stones Upper fill of charcoal-production C4 3 1.87 1.41 0.40 kiln/clamp Charcoal rich deposit Basal fill of charcoal-production C5 3 1.87 1.41 0.22 kiln/clamp C6 3 0.49 1.41 0.14 Subsoil Re-deposited subsoil

APPENDIX 1.2 CATALOGUE OF ARTEFACTS No artefacts were recovered from the site.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD i Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 1.3 CATALOGUE OF SAMPLES One sample was taken from the charcoal rich deposit and was processed by flotation and sieving through a 250 µm mesh. Very small quantities of charcoal were retrieved from one sample, listed below.

SAMPLE CONTEXT FEATURE CHARCOAL FLOT WEIGHT SEEDS BURNT BONE 1 5 Use fill within the charcoal-production 1,390 g kiln/clamp

ii IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 1.4 ARCHIVE REGISTER

Project Name: N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Site Name: Killarainy 2 Registration Number: E4576 Site Director : Shane Delaney Date: December 2014

FIELD RECORDS ITEMS (QUANTITY) COMMENTS Site drawings (pla ns) 2 Digitised Site sections, profiles, elevations 1 Digitised Other plans, sketches, etc. 0 Timber drawings 0 Stone structural drawings 0

Site diary/note books 0 Site registers (folders) 1

Survey/levels data (origin information) Elect ronic Site survey

Context sheets 6 Digitised Wood Sheets 0 Skeleton Sheets 0 Worked stone sheets 0

Digital photographs 12 Photographs (print) 0 Photographs (slide) 0

Security copy of archive IAC Ltd Digital archive

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD iii Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 2 SPECIALIST REPORTS

Appendix 2.1 Charcoal and Wood Report – Ellen O’Carroll

Appendix 2.2 Radiocarbon Dating – QUB Laboratory

iv IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 2.1 CHARCOAL AND WOOD REPORT – ELLEN O’CARROLL

Introduction A total of 50 charcoal fragments from a charcoal production clamp/pit were analysed from excavations at Killarainy 2 along the Moycullen by pass, Co. Galway. The site has been dated to the early medieval period between AD 784 and 990 (Table 1).

An Environmental Remains Assessment report was completed by the Project Environmental Specialist for the scheme and one sample was recommended for charcoal analysis (O Carroll 2015a).

A total of 50 charcoal fragments, weighing 3.3 g, were analysed for woodland resource usage. Wood and its by-product charcoal was a vital and widely used material from prehistoric to medieval times although its importance is rarely reflected in the analysis of archaeological assemblages mainly due to its perishable nature. It is important to note that people in prehistoric, early medieval and medieval communities were mainly dependant on woodland resources for the construction of buildings, for the manufacture of most implements and for fuel for wood-burning and metal working activities. The woods in a surrounding catchment area were exploited and often managed to provide an essential raw material for the community. A study of the range of species on an archaeological site offers an indication of the composition of local woodland in its period of use and any selection practices for particular species at any given time and place.

The analysis presented here concentrates on species identification, species selection and the composition of the local woodland during the early medieval period around the townland of Killarainy 2, Co. Galway.

Methods The process for identifying wood, whether it is charred, dried or waterlogged is carried out by comparing the anatomical structure of wood samples with known comparative material or keys (Schweingruber 1990). A wood reference collection from the Botanical Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin was also used.

Charcoal The soil sample was processed by means of the flotation technique. The flots were sieved through a 250 micron or a 1 mm sieve, while the retent was put through a 2 mm or 4 mm sieve. All of the charcoal remains from the soil samples were then bagged and labelled.

The identification of charcoal material involves breaking the charcoal piece along its three sections (transverse, tangential and radial) so clean sections of the wood pieces can be obtained. This charcoal is then identified to species under a universal compound microscope reflected and transmitted light sources at magnifications x 10 - 400. By close examination of the microanatomical features of the samples the charcoal species are determined.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD v Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

The purpose of the charcoal identifications was two-fold. In some cases the identifications were carried out prior to C14 dating in order to select specific species for dating and in other cases the charcoal was analysed for fuel selection policies and selection of wood types for structural use. Each species was identified, bagged together and then weighed. Insect channels were noted on the charcoal fragments identified as this may indicate the use of dead or rotting wood used for fuel or other such functions. The distinction can sometimes be made between trunks, branches and twigs if the charcoal samples are large enough. This was noted where possible. When charcoal samples showed indications of fast or slow growth this was also recorded. The samples identified for environmental reconstruction and wood usage were counted per fragment and then weighed. The smaller sample amounts with less than 50 fragments were all identified while 50 fragments were identified from the larger samples.

Notwithstanding the charcoal sample numbers analysed from this site, it is clear that the charcoal results throw up some interesting results and trends in relation to wood selection and use and woodland cover in the early medieval period in Co. Galway.

A number of wood taxa cannot be identified to species or sub-species level anatomically. Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) are both native and common in Ireland and the wood of these species cannot be differentiated on the basis of their anatomic characteristics.

Results & Analysis Charcoal for analysis was recovered from C5/S1, a basal fill of the kiln/clamp. Oak was the only species present. The size of the charcoal identified was between 5 mm and 25 mm and annual tree rings present were between 2 and 15 rings. Fast growth was recorded on some of the charcoal fragments.

AGE AGE DATE DATE SAMPLE SAMPLE CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT COMMENT COMMENT DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION IDENTIFICATIONS IDENTIFICATIONS SIZE OF FRAGMENTS SIZE FRAGMENTS OF

5 mm Charcoal 2–15 Some fast 1 C5 Oak (13.5 g*, 50*) –25 AD 784–990 pit rings growth mm Table 1 Wood taxa present in the charcoal assemblage *g = weight in grams *f = fragment counts

vi IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

Discussion of Charcoal assemblage

Aims of the study • To determine use and function of the feature and associated charcoal through the identification of taxa types • To determine the types of wood selected for use either as fuel or as structural wood. • To re-construct the environment that the charcoal and wood was selected from.

General A total of 50 charcoal fragments from a single context relating to a large charcoal production pit/clamp were analysed from excavations at Killarainy 2, Co. Galway, as part of the Moycullen by-pass.

Charcoal for analysis was recovered from a single context, C5 (Sample No. 1; a charcoal rich basal fill deposit; fill of pit C3). A fragment of oak charcoal, 0.7 g in weight, was extracted for dating. The oak fragment returned a radiocarbon date of AD 784–990 (cal. QUB 2 Sigma), placing it in the early medieval period.

Wood use The oak charcoal is most likely to represent the remains of fuel used in the charcoal production pit. The medieval date also concurs with the use and presence of such pits in Ireland. The pit may have been associated with activities associated with the encampment site at Killarainy 5 and also dated to a similar time period. Oak was also the dominant wood type identified from the encampment site at Killarainy 5 (O Carroll 2015b).

Oak is a dense wood and is very suitable for charcoal production. It also makes good firewood when dried and will grow in wetland areas when conditions are dry. Oak also has unique properties of great durability and strength. Sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ) and pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ) are both native to and common in Ireland. The wood of these species cannot be differentiated based on its microstructure. Pendunculate oak is found on heavy clays and loams particularly where the soil is of alkaline pH. Sessile oak is found on acid soils often in pure stands and although it thrives on well-drained soils it is also tolerant of flooding (Beckett 1979, 40–41). Both species of oak grow to be very large trees (30-40m) and can live to an age of about 400 years.

Woodland reconstruction The oak identified suggests that there was a supply of oak in the surrounding environment in the early medieval period. As some of the oak wood was recorded as fast growth it is possible that the oak was selected from a coppiced wood. A coppice tree is where the tree is cut down at its base and as a consequence several new shots or straight growing trees will grow out of this one stump. The use of quickly renewable oak coppiced trees would have been the most efficient method of sustaining a continuous supply of fuel for use in these charcoal production pits.

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD vii Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

The existence of these charcoal production pits indicates an organised well-structured society which places our ancestors away from obvious settlement centres and indicates they were working in the broader landscape. The charcoal burner would have roamed around from place to place in order to access new areas of coppiced woodlands as previously coppiced areas regenerated. The use of quickly renewable oak coppiced trees would have been the most efficient method of sustaining a continuous supply of fuel for use in the pit.

Comparative material Pits where oak is the main species identified from the charcoal remains suggest charcoal-burning pits. The medieval date also fits in with the use of these pits.

Recent excavations along the many road schemes have produced a large quantity of isolated pits some of which may have functioned as charcoal production pits. Pits where oak is the main species identified from the charcoal remains suggests charcoal- burning pits. Charcoal-burning pits can in a lot of cases be isolated features and un- associated with any other structure types therefore charcoal identifications can help in the interpretation of the site (Kenny 2010).

Two sites excavated as part of the M8 Cullahill to Cashel road scheme, AR13 and AR15, revealed a series of pits which produced evidence for in situ burning. In both cases, oak charcoal was the dominant taxon present in the samples analysed (O Carroll, 2009). AR13 and AR15 returned dates of between AD 1302 and 1433 (O Carroll, 2009). They were both classified as charcoal-production clamps or pits.

A series of isolated pits were uncovered during the construction of the Mayo-Galway Gas pipeline (05E0584) in Polraddy, Davros and Maltpool townlands in Mayo and Cloonsheen townland in Galway. The identifications from the aforementioned sites produced thousands of grammes of oak-charcoal therefore based on the charcoal identifications as well as discussions with the director they have now been interpreted as charcoal-production pits. The pits were all of similar size and all produced oak as their dominant species when identified.

In another part of the country in Co. Meath there is a similar scenario where oak charcoal was identified from isolated pits determining their function as charcoal production pits. Two charcoal burning pits were excavated at Ardnamullan 1, Co. Meath (02E1147) by Stephen Linnane of ACS and were dated to AD1020-1250. These pits were isolated rectangular pits measuring approximately 20cm in depth. Over 250 grams of oak charcoal were identified from one of the pits and 200 grams from the second pit.

There were many charcoal production pits identified from the Charlestown by-pass in Co. Mayo (A020-46, Gortanure townland, Co. Roscommon). These pits also produced manly oak charcoal and they are most likely associated with a medieval dated ringfort in Lowpark townland, Co. Mayo (O Carroll, 2007). This ringfort produced large quantities of slag and such evidence associated with metal working activities (Gillespie & Kerrigan 2010).

viii IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

Also along this road scheme at Moycullen a series of charcoal production pits were excavated at Killarainy 4 and oak was the main taxa used and identified from these pits (O Carroll 2015c).

Summary and Conclusions The charcoal analysed is most likely to be representative of fuel used in a charcoal production clamp/pit and may be associated with industrial activities or metalworking processes in the medieval periods of the Killarainy area. Coppiced oak woods may have been present and sourced for charcoal production.

Recommendations for retention It is recommended that this sample be discarded and should not be retained by the National Museum of Ireland as it has been fully analysed and dated.

References Beckett, J.K. 1979 Planting Native Trees and Shrubs . Jarrold and Sons Ltd. Norwich.

Delaney, S. 2015 P reliminary archaeological excavation report, Killarainy 2, Co. Galway . Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.

Gillespie, R. F. and A. Kerrigan. 2010. O f Troughs and Tuyeres: The Archaeology of the N5 Charlestown Bypass . National Roads Authority, Dublin.

Kenny, N. 2010 ‘Charcoal production in Medieval Ireland’. Pages 99–117 in Stanley, M., Danaher, E., and Eogan, J. (eds). Creative minds, proceedings of a public seminar in archaeological discoveries on national road schemes, August 2009 . National Roads Authority, Dublin.

O Carroll, E. 2007 Wo od and Charcoal identifications from the N5, Charlestown bypass, Mayo Co. Co . /NRA

O Carroll, E. 2009 Wood and Charcoal identifications from the M8 road excavations , VJ Keeley Ltd/NRA.

O Carroll, E. 2015a Environmental Remains Assessment Report for the N59, Moycullen bypass . Unpublished technical report for IAC Ltd/NRA.

O Carroll, E. 2015b Charcoal identifications from Killarainy 5, Moycullen bypass . Unpublished technical report for IAC Ltd/NRA.

O Carroll, E. 2015c Charcoal identifications from Killarainy 2, Moycullen bypass . Unpublished technical report for IAC Ltd/NRA.

Schweingruber, F.H. 1990 Microscopic Wood Anatomy . Birmensdorf: Swiss

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD ix Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

APPENDIX 2.2 RADIOCARBON DATING – QUB LABORATORY

The “Measured radiocarbon age” is quoted in conventional years BP (before AD 1950). The error is expressed at the one-sigma level of confidence.

The “Calibrated date range” is equivalent to the probable calendrical age of the sample material and is expressed at the one Sigma (68.3% probability) and two-Sigma (95.4% probability) level of confidence.

Calibration dataset: intcal13.14c

Measured Lab Date Calibrated Date Context Sample Material Species ID Lab Radiocarbon Code Type Ranges Age (BP) AMS AD 894–968 (1σ) C5 1 Charcoal Oak, 0.1 g QUB UBA 29110 1120±25 (std) AD 784–990 (2σ)

x IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.:E4576

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD xi N

Site Location

0 m Scale 10 km

Title Killarainy 2 - Site Location Scale 1:200000 Drawn by HK

Project N59 Moycullen Bypass Date 030415 Checked by SD

Client Galway County Council Job no. J2842 Fig. 1 Rev. 3 N

Killarainy 2

0 m Scale 500 m

Title Killarainy 2 - Site Location and Scheme Scale 1:10000 Drawn by HK

Project N59 Moycullen Bypass Date 030415 Checked by SD

Client Galway County Council Job no. J2842 Fig. 2 Rev. 3 N

Killarainy 1 Killarainy 5

Killarainy 4 Site Location Killarainy 2

Killarainy 3

Danesfield House Walled (site of) garden

0 m Scale 100 m

Title Location of Sites Killarainy 1-5 Scale 1:2500 Drawn by HK

Project N59 Moycullen Bypass Date 030415 Checked by SD

Client Galway County Council Job no. J2842 Fig. 3 Rev. 3 N

121040 E 233340 N

Limit of excavation

12.767 13.343 13.002

12.681 12.606 12.883 1A C3 Stones

121028 E 1B 16.777 233320 N

12.503 12.447 16.777

12.35

121050 E 233320 N

Legend Section CXX Cut number 0 m Scale 1:150 10 m CXX Fill number XX.XX Level - meters OD

West-facing section of cereal-drying kiln C3 1A 1B 17.402

C6 C4 # # C5 # # C5 # # Legend # # # Section C2 CXX Cut number C3 CXX Fill number XX.XX Level - meters OD XXXXXX E XXXXXX N National Grid Reference # # # Charcoal 0 m Scale 1:25 1 m Stone

Title Killarainy 2 - Site Plan and Section Scale As shown Drawn by HK

Project N59 Moycullen Bypass Date 030415 Checked by SD

Client Galway County Council Job no. J2842 Fig. 4 Rev. 3 Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.: E4576

Plate 1: Killarainy 2 pre-excavation, facing west

Plate 2: Killarainy 2 pre-excavation, facing southwest

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD PLATES Killarainy 2, Final Excavation Report N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway Registration No.: E4576

Plate 3: Killarainy 2 mid excavation, facing southwest

Plate 4: Killarainy 2, facing south

IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD PLATES