2009 excavation update

A summary of the 2009 excavation of a Bornze Age Roundhouse site on Slivevmore

 Summary Bronze Age Roundhoue at Slievemore, Achill, Co. Mayo

Archaeological excavation was undertaken at the site of Roundhouse 2, Slievemore, Achill Island, Co. Mayo as part of the 2009 fieldwork programme of the Achill Archaeological Field School. Four trenches were excavated across the structure and indicated that is was a drystone construction broadly comparable to a similar structure (Roundhouse 1) located 50m to the west. There was evidence for a single entrance in the east of the structure and an attached field boundary to the west; there were indications of a least two phases of activity contemporary with the structure.

The structure is likely to date to the Early Bronze Age (by analogy with the adjacent site of Roundhouse 1), however this needs to be confirmed by scientific dating. Though both structures appear to be set within a contemporary field system, there are still questions as to whether these are indeed domestic structures. However, the discovery of degraded pottery during the 2009 excavations suggest that these may very well be domesic structures.    The fact that there are at least another 8-10 sites on the mountain argues strongly for domestic usage. The final results of the excavations at Roundhouse 2 in 2010 are expected to resolve this question, while the analysis of environmental samples by Exteter University  is likely to make a significant contribution to its resolution.

Executive Summary Keem Bay excavation

An archaeological excavation was undertaken as a house site within the deserted village settlement at Keem Bay, Achill Island, County Mayo. This excavation formed part of the 2009 programme for the Achill Archaeological Field School.
The purpose of the excavation was to investigate the deserted village settlement at Keem Bay, to better understand the date of the settlement, the nature of the buildings and whether it was a site of permanent or seasonal occupation.
The results of the excavations indicate that the building within this settlement are likely to be closely comparable to those found at Carraun Point and also to the beehive huts recorded in early archival photographs taken on the island. The localisation of demolition rubble or collapse material within the interior of the structure investigated indicates that it may have been deliberately demolished at the end of its use. Unfortunately due to the limitations of the investigation definitive dating evidence was not obtained, nor was it possible to fully establish the nature of the settlement (permanent/seasonal).