Ring-ditch in Gunnocks

Located on a fairly level landscape. A gradiometer survey (17R0229) by Target Archaeological Geophysics of an extensive development area of c. 75 ha in the townlands of Loughsallagh, Portan, and Gunnocks, identified numerous anomalies of potential archaeological interest. Targeted archaeological testing (18E0013) by T. Coughlan in 2018 and M. Piera (19E0211) in 2019 was able to demonstrate that many of these were of fairly modern agricultural origin. However, sixteen locations were set aside for further investigation, which was undertaken by J. Whitaker under the licence (18E0013) between the beginning of April and the end of July 2019, and all but four of these proved to be of archaeological interest. This is a subcircular area (int. dims 6m E-W; 5m N-S) defined by a single continuous fosse (Wth 0.9-1.5m; D 0.4-0.5m) that was filled with three main layers of brown silty clays throughout the feature. The middle layer had inclusions of burnt and unburned stone and animal bone as well as three burnt timbers in the SE quadrant. A layer of slumped material occurred on the inside of the ditch at one point and the basal layer throughout was a light grey-brown clay with some pebbles and charcoal flecking. No artefacts were recovered. (Whitaker 2020, 31, Site 12) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 8 November 2021