Burnt spread in Croaghonagh

Located on a natural elevation at the NE end of Lough Mourne, c. 45m SE of a Neolithic cairn (DG086-002001-). Discovered and fully excavated in 2011 during an archaeological excavation at the cairn carried out in advance of the proposed development of a dam at Lough Mourne (Delaney 2013). This consisted of a shallow spread (3.8m NW−SE; 2.2m NE−SW; D 0.2m) of charcoal, burnt clay and some heat-shattered stone, and was interpreted as a hearth or remains of a fire (Delaney 2013, 18). The charcoal fragments were identified as belonging to three species, oak, hazel and alder. A sample of alder charcoal sent for radiocarbon analysis returned a middle Bronze Age date, 1726-1523 BC (UBA 19990) (calibrated to 2 sigma). A flint core, a flint flake, and a fragment of a quartz flake were recovered. The burnt spread is one of a complex of monuments found here: An Early Bronze Age wedge tomb (DG086-002004-) was found 50m to NW, at the SW end of the Neolithic cairn (DG086-002001-); a pit (DG086-002006-), with associated burning, located c. 25m to NW, was also dated to the middle Bronze Age, and a Late Bronze Age fulacht fia (DG086-002007-) was found c. 60m to NW. (Delaney 2013). Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 16 January 2018