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News Report. Archaeological intertidal surveys in North Munster, Republic of Ireland 1995
The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (1996) 25.1: 66–68
News Report Archaeological intertidal surveys in North Munster, Republic of Ireland 1995
Neolithic stone axe in submerged forest, Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick Early prehistoric submerged forests in peats have been identified during the survey at seven different locations on the Shannon Estuary. In one submerged oak-alder woodland at Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick, a stone axe has been recovered in gravels on a peat and clay ridge running along the extreme lower foreshore (O’Sullivan, 1995f). Animal bone, recumbent tree trunks, roots and lithics were found in the immediate vicinity of the axe. The stone axe and animal bone may be taken to represent a range of Neolithic activities in a waterlogged river valley floor.
Shannon Estuary at Carrigdirty Rock, Co. Limerick (O’Sullivan, 1995a; 1995b). A number of additional features have since been exposed by winter erosion. Further clusters of posts with Bronze Age toolmarks in peats have been found elsewhere on the shore. A pit feature with animal bone has also been discovered in the adjacent submerged forest in peat. This was a deposit of disarticulated animal bone in a shallow, oval pit-feature. The pit was ‘dug’ into woody, poorly humidified light brown peats, probably formed in a carr woodland. It contained gritty, shell-rich clays and red deer and bird bone, including a single red deer antler. One bone was chopped with an axe and a large deer antler, broken away from the skull, was found to the south-east. It is either food debris or a ritual deposit of animal bone. A human skull fragment and woven basketry have been located elsewhere on this foreshore in eroding estuarine detritus clays. More recent finds include a dugout canoe or large carved wooden vessel in fragmentary condition, measuring 2·5 m in length and approximately 0·6 m in width. There is a possible post and wattle trackway emerging from a clay shelf about 10 m to the west and a large amount of burnt and charred roundwood in the vicinity. Discrete deposits of tiny burnt bone fragments, hazelnut shells and mollusca have been recovered from these clays. The complex may represent some form of earlier prehistoric marsh encampment or funerary site.
Bronze Age huts, vessel, human and animal bone, Carrigdirty Rock, Co. Limerick Middle Bronze Age hut sites with cattle bone have already been recorded on the
Bronze Age hurdle trackways, Fergus Estuary, Co. Clare Detailed instrument survey at the previously identified Late Bronze Age jetty/
Introduction Intertidal archaeological surveys were carried out in autumn 1995 by the author on the Shannon, Deel, Fergus and Cashen estuaries in North Munster, south-west Ireland. These continue the author’s surveys completed between 1992–1994, as previously reported in this journal and elsewhere (O’Sullivan, 1995d; 1995e). A range of stone and wooden structures and finds were recorded. Palaeoenvironmental analyses of wood, pollen, macrofossils, animal bone and diatoms have been initiated. The wide range of submerged forests, structures, lithics and animal bone recorded in peats and clays is revealing a complex sequence of marine transgressions and regressions against a background of rising relative sea levels.
1057–2414/96/010066+03 $18.00/0
? 1996 The Nautical Archaeology Society
NEWS REPORT
trackway at Islandmagrath on the Fergus Estuary (O’Sullivan 1995a; 1995b) has revealed several important additional features. The structure drops about 1·5 m down the shore, possibly comprising a large wooden platform with a trackway leading away from it. Palaeoenvironmental studies have been initiated on the adjacent saltmarsh cliff, where the estuarine clays are now known to be sealed by a band of peats of probable Iron Age date. A second post and wattle trackway has been found in clays to the north. It consists of at least three hurdle panels laid horizontally on the clays. The structure is presently exposed over an area approximately 3 m#2 m. Spreads of animal bone, a wooden pier, a stone-built jetty, a possible ancient fishtrap and a fishweir structure have also been found along this shoreline. Medieval fishweirs and fish basket, Bunratty, Co. Clare Concentrations of medieval wooden fishweirs have already been recorded during the surveys along the Fergus, Deel and Shannon estuaries (O’Sullivan 1994; 1995c). An important newly discovered group is situated off the Medieval borough of Bunratty. The foreshore has a large number of post and wattle fishweirs, a submerged forest in peat, a possible hurdle trackway, a dense cluster of multiple, closely parallel fences forming a possible boat jetty and a number of ship timbers. The most striking find is a large fish basket laid horizontally on the clays and associated with vertical post and wattle fences. Woven in the form of conical ‘sock’, it measures 2·25 m in length and tapers from a width of 85 cm at the mouth to 20 cm at the trap end. Late Medieval fishweirs, jetties and reclamation banks There is abundant evidence for later fishweirs on the tidal foreshore, notably
at Maiden Rock, Co. Limerick, Bush Island, Co. Clare and in Clonderalaw Bay, Co. Clare. These generally take a form different from the earlier structures, being simple straight post alignments, occasionally up to 100 m in length. Trackways and platforms have also been found in association with these structures. Research is also continuing on the evidence for reclamation of the estuarine marshes. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests that this was initiated by the 14th century AD. At Newtown, Co. Limerick, there is a sequence of at least three earthen sea-banks, the earliest of probable Medieval date, which run inland parallel to the modern sea bank. At Ballygirreen, Co. Clare, at least two obsolete, earlier, sea banks can be traced further inland. Dutch colonists, past masters at wetlands reclamation, were introduced into Sixmilebridge in south Clare in about 1654 to manage rape-seed oil mills. It is possible that renewed marsh reclamation continued under their influence throughout the 17th century. Conclusion Post-survey research, radiocarbon dating and palaeoenvironmental studies are in progress. A final phase of archaeological prospection, detailed instrument surveys, environmental coring and targeted excavations are intended for 1996, leading to full publication as a monograph. Research currently continues into the potential of a number of other Irish coastal wetlands and estuaries for similar archaeological investigations.
Aidan O’Sullivan Discovery Programme, 13–15 Lower Hatch St., Dublin 2, Rep. of Ireland 67
NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 25.1
References O’Sullivan, A., 1995a, Marshlanders. Archaeology Ireland, 31: 8–11. O’Sullivan, A., 1995b, Later Bronze Age Structures on the intertidal foreshore in North Munster, Ireland. NewsWARP, 17: 14–18. O’Sullivan, A., 1995c, Medieval fishweirs on the Deel estuary, Co. Limerick. Archaeology Ireland, 32: 15–17. O’Sullivan, A., 1995d, intertidal archaeological surveys in the estuarine wetlands of North Munster. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 24.1: 71–73. O’Sullivan, A., 1995e, Intertidal archaeological survey and estuarine wetland in North Muster, Ireland. In: M. Bell (Ed.), Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 1994. Severn Estuary Levels Research Committee Annual report 1994: 145–155, Lampeter. O’Sullivan, A., 1995f, A prehistoric stone axe and submerged forest at Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick. IAPA Newsletter, 21: 7–8.
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News Report Archaeological intertidal surveys in North Munster, Republic of Ireland 1995
Neolithic stone axe in submerged forest, Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick Early prehistoric submerged forests in peats have been identified during the survey at seven different locations on the Shannon Estuary. In one submerged oak-alder woodland at Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick, a stone axe has been recovered in gravels on a peat and clay ridge running along the extreme lower foreshore (O’Sullivan, 1995f). Animal bone, recumbent tree trunks, roots and lithics were found in the immediate vicinity of the axe. The stone axe and animal bone may be taken to represent a range of Neolithic activities in a waterlogged river valley floor.
Shannon Estuary at Carrigdirty Rock, Co. Limerick (O’Sullivan, 1995a; 1995b). A number of additional features have since been exposed by winter erosion. Further clusters of posts with Bronze Age toolmarks in peats have been found elsewhere on the shore. A pit feature with animal bone has also been discovered in the adjacent submerged forest in peat. This was a deposit of disarticulated animal bone in a shallow, oval pit-feature. The pit was ‘dug’ into woody, poorly humidified light brown peats, probably formed in a carr woodland. It contained gritty, shell-rich clays and red deer and bird bone, including a single red deer antler. One bone was chopped with an axe and a large deer antler, broken away from the skull, was found to the south-east. It is either food debris or a ritual deposit of animal bone. A human skull fragment and woven basketry have been located elsewhere on this foreshore in eroding estuarine detritus clays. More recent finds include a dugout canoe or large carved wooden vessel in fragmentary condition, measuring 2·5 m in length and approximately 0·6 m in width. There is a possible post and wattle trackway emerging from a clay shelf about 10 m to the west and a large amount of burnt and charred roundwood in the vicinity. Discrete deposits of tiny burnt bone fragments, hazelnut shells and mollusca have been recovered from these clays. The complex may represent some form of earlier prehistoric marsh encampment or funerary site.
Bronze Age huts, vessel, human and animal bone, Carrigdirty Rock, Co. Limerick Middle Bronze Age hut sites with cattle bone have already been recorded on the
Bronze Age hurdle trackways, Fergus Estuary, Co. Clare Detailed instrument survey at the previously identified Late Bronze Age jetty/
Introduction Intertidal archaeological surveys were carried out in autumn 1995 by the author on the Shannon, Deel, Fergus and Cashen estuaries in North Munster, south-west Ireland. These continue the author’s surveys completed between 1992–1994, as previously reported in this journal and elsewhere (O’Sullivan, 1995d; 1995e). A range of stone and wooden structures and finds were recorded. Palaeoenvironmental analyses of wood, pollen, macrofossils, animal bone and diatoms have been initiated. The wide range of submerged forests, structures, lithics and animal bone recorded in peats and clays is revealing a complex sequence of marine transgressions and regressions against a background of rising relative sea levels.
1057–2414/96/010066+03 $18.00/0
? 1996 The Nautical Archaeology Society
NEWS REPORT
trackway at Islandmagrath on the Fergus Estuary (O’Sullivan 1995a; 1995b) has revealed several important additional features. The structure drops about 1·5 m down the shore, possibly comprising a large wooden platform with a trackway leading away from it. Palaeoenvironmental studies have been initiated on the adjacent saltmarsh cliff, where the estuarine clays are now known to be sealed by a band of peats of probable Iron Age date. A second post and wattle trackway has been found in clays to the north. It consists of at least three hurdle panels laid horizontally on the clays. The structure is presently exposed over an area approximately 3 m#2 m. Spreads of animal bone, a wooden pier, a stone-built jetty, a possible ancient fishtrap and a fishweir structure have also been found along this shoreline. Medieval fishweirs and fish basket, Bunratty, Co. Clare Concentrations of medieval wooden fishweirs have already been recorded during the surveys along the Fergus, Deel and Shannon estuaries (O’Sullivan 1994; 1995c). An important newly discovered group is situated off the Medieval borough of Bunratty. The foreshore has a large number of post and wattle fishweirs, a submerged forest in peat, a possible hurdle trackway, a dense cluster of multiple, closely parallel fences forming a possible boat jetty and a number of ship timbers. The most striking find is a large fish basket laid horizontally on the clays and associated with vertical post and wattle fences. Woven in the form of conical ‘sock’, it measures 2·25 m in length and tapers from a width of 85 cm at the mouth to 20 cm at the trap end. Late Medieval fishweirs, jetties and reclamation banks There is abundant evidence for later fishweirs on the tidal foreshore, notably
at Maiden Rock, Co. Limerick, Bush Island, Co. Clare and in Clonderalaw Bay, Co. Clare. These generally take a form different from the earlier structures, being simple straight post alignments, occasionally up to 100 m in length. Trackways and platforms have also been found in association with these structures. Research is also continuing on the evidence for reclamation of the estuarine marshes. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests that this was initiated by the 14th century AD. At Newtown, Co. Limerick, there is a sequence of at least three earthen sea-banks, the earliest of probable Medieval date, which run inland parallel to the modern sea bank. At Ballygirreen, Co. Clare, at least two obsolete, earlier, sea banks can be traced further inland. Dutch colonists, past masters at wetlands reclamation, were introduced into Sixmilebridge in south Clare in about 1654 to manage rape-seed oil mills. It is possible that renewed marsh reclamation continued under their influence throughout the 17th century. Conclusion Post-survey research, radiocarbon dating and palaeoenvironmental studies are in progress. A final phase of archaeological prospection, detailed instrument surveys, environmental coring and targeted excavations are intended for 1996, leading to full publication as a monograph. Research currently continues into the potential of a number of other Irish coastal wetlands and estuaries for similar archaeological investigations.
Aidan O’Sullivan Discovery Programme, 13–15 Lower Hatch St., Dublin 2, Rep. of Ireland 67
NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 25.1
References O’Sullivan, A., 1995a, Marshlanders. Archaeology Ireland, 31: 8–11. O’Sullivan, A., 1995b, Later Bronze Age Structures on the intertidal foreshore in North Munster, Ireland. NewsWARP, 17: 14–18. O’Sullivan, A., 1995c, Medieval fishweirs on the Deel estuary, Co. Limerick. Archaeology Ireland, 32: 15–17. O’Sullivan, A., 1995d, intertidal archaeological surveys in the estuarine wetlands of North Munster. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 24.1: 71–73. O’Sullivan, A., 1995e, Intertidal archaeological survey and estuarine wetland in North Muster, Ireland. In: M. Bell (Ed.), Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 1994. Severn Estuary Levels Research Committee Annual report 1994: 145–155, Lampeter. O’Sullivan, A., 1995f, A prehistoric stone axe and submerged forest at Meelick Rocks, Co. Limerick. IAPA Newsletter, 21: 7–8.
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