Threshing floor in Muckinish West

Situated in a blow-out in sand dunes midway along and c. 26m inland from Bishopsquarter beach. A circular area (diam. 6m N-S; 6.15m E-W) defined by a double setting (Wth 0.58m at SW; 0.6m at N) of closely set, roughly shaped stones set into the sand (one layer deep) with the tops of the stones at ground level. The outer stones of the defining feature are larger (c. 0.4-0.5m) and roughly shaped although placed in a way that yields a neat outer line at the perimeter of the circle. The inner stones are medium-sized (c. 0.2-0.3m) sea-rolled stones. The interior of the circle is paved with a single layer of fist-sized sea-rolled cobbles set into the sand. These are absent to an extent in the E quadrant. The interior is highest at E and slopes down to W. At E the interior is slightly higher than the stones forming the edge. This structure has been exposed in recent times due to wind erosion. It may be a threshing floor used in removing grain form the stalks prior to winnowing. Some adjacent field walls have also been recently exposed. These are in line with and part of the existing field boundary system including a wall running parallel to the beach. The following images have been uploaded: CL002-082----_01.jpg View of threshing floor from S. CL002-082----_02.jpg Close up of W quadrant. CL002-082----_03.jpg View from NE. CL002-082----_04.jpg View from S (almost completely covered by shifting sands June 2020). Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 1 February 2017