Belderrig, Co. Mayo
Principal Investigators
Dr. Graeme Warren
Funding
Royal Irish Academy
Abstract
The site at Belderrig, Co. Mayo lies on west facing slopes of a
sheltered bay. Initially discovered by Patrick and Seamas Caulfield in
a prominent erosion the scar, the site was originally identified as a
scatter of worked quartz and other materials sealed beneath peat. As
well as lithics, observation of the erosive face has led to the
recovery of fish bone.
Four seasons of fieldwork have now been completed. Survey in 2004 aimed at establishing the extent of the scatter in advance of further excavation. The main concentration appears to be reasonably discrete, and focuses on the cliff edge. Elsewhere on the hill slope test pits identified pre bog field walls and other concentrations of worked quartz. Two large trenches, and further test pits, were excavated in 2005 – most importantly a long trench (see picture) which has revealed extensive stony surfaces, seemingly deliberately constructed, and clear stratigraphic relationships between ‘mesolithic’ ‘neolithic’ activity. Further excavation in 2006 continued in this trench, and targeted small samples of material near the erosion scar. In 2007 the lower parts of the long trench were completed and an annex opened to explore a geophysical anomaly. This revealed a complex suite of architectural features including stone walls and cairns. Due to poor weather conditions the trench was incomplete.
Artefacts are abundant, in quartz, chert, flint, siltstone and other materials and ecofacts include plant macrofossils and numerous highly fragmented fishbones. These are analysed by Rachel Parks, Fishlab, University of York and include wrasse and conger eel. Eleven dates have now been obtained from site in collaboration with 14 Chrono (LINK TO http://www.chrono.qub.ac.uk) at Queen’s University Belfast, and indicate activity from the mid fifth to mid fourth millennium cal BC (see report).
