Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009 Summary Report

Seamas Caulfield, Gretta Byrne, Martin Downes, Noel Dunne, Graeme Warren, David McIlreavy, Stuart Rathbone and Patrick Walsh
UCD School of Archaeology
Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research Fund 2009 INSTAR: GRANT No. 16710 November 2009 Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo

Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

1. Background............................................................................................................................ 2 2. Outline of 2009 Methodology and Results.............................................................................. 4 4. Outcomes .............................................................................................................................. 6 5. Outline of Proposed Book for Non-specialists ........................................................................ 8

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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

1. Background
The Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo (NBNM) projects overarching aims are to bring to full publication critically important aspects of the Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeology of North Mayo. The project address four areas: Noel Dunnes survey work on the Pollatomish peninsula; Seamas Caulfields survey/excavation in Belderrig; survey and excavation by varied parties at Cide Fields; and Gretta Byrnes survey/excavation from Ballinglen to Rathlackan. Individually these are important sites and/or landscapes, taken as a whole they are of international significance in terms of understanding early agricultural communities in north-west Europe. Furthermore, the buried landscapes of the Cide Fields are iconic for Irish archaeology and a state candidate for World Heritage Site status. The project builds on the success of the Cide Fields work in outreach, and remedies the lack of full academic publication. Our model is for a three year project resulting in: an academic monograph detailing results of survey, excavation and further specialist work full excavation reports and archives deposited with the relevant authorities a book targeted at the general public outlining the nature, significance and future of these archaeological landscapes

At present, funding has been obtained for the first year of this project which focuses on preparing stratigraphic accounts of all of the excavations, archiving materials, generating basic catalogues and processing relevant samples. The enclosed reports outline the results of this project. The specific excavations included in this proposal are: Belderg Beg (Caulfield) Behy ( Nuallin) Glenulra Enclosure (Caulfield) Cide Visitor Centre (Byrne and Dunne) Glenulra Scatter (Byrne) Rathlackan Court Tomb (Byrne)

Project Partners:
Seamas Caulfield, Retired Associate Professor of Archaeology (UCD)
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

Gretta Byrne Manager of Cide Fields Visitor Centre and Archaeological Site Martin Downes, Emeritus Professor of Biology, NUIM Noel Dunne Project Archaeologist, NRA Graeme Warren Lecturer, UCD School of Archaeology (Project Coordinator) ITAS Bealdeirg (the Belderrig Research and Study Centre, which is the physical base for the project)

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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

2. Outline of 2009 Methodology and Results

Grant support from the Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research Fund (INSTAR, Grant 16710) for 2009 enabled us to hire three staff for a four month period. These staff comprised two research assistants, Mr Stuart Rathbone and Mr David McIlreavy, and a research fellow, Mr Patrick Walsh. These three researchers have been based in Belderrig from August-Dec, working on the archives. The Modified Proposal (27th May 2009) outlined the following aims for this phase. generation of stratigraphical reports for all sites in the project proposal selection of site drawings/key surveys for final publication generation of registers archiving of all materials (finds, samples, drawing) processing of extant samples with contextual information preparation of schematic outline of book for general public.

We also indicated that we would try to confirm spatial references and grid systems in so far as was possible in the time available. The original proposal outlined GIS work which could not be carried out by the modified project approved by INSTAR. GW will seek a volunteer MA Research Placement student to develop the basic GIS in Spring 2010. The nature of the archives encountered by this current phase of analysis varied. The earlier excavations took place in a different archaeological framework: single context recording was not carried out, and expectations of the scale and character of recording were very different to today. In general for the earlier excavations, the written archive is poor, but the recollections of the excavator, alongside a good photographic and drawn record, has enabled a good level of reconstruction of stratigraphy. The more recent excavations have a more complete archive, and here we have focused on synthesising the annual reports previously presented. It is important to note that both the older and more recent excavations often focused on uncovering archaeology beneath the bog rather than excavating sections through that archaeology. For the earlier excavations the first phase of analysis has been to create a synthetic working plan of the site and assign context numbers as appropriate. These were then used to create a stratigraphic narrative. Within the constraints of the budget for this phase we have not been able to fully reconstruct the coordinate systems used in the excavations which means that many finds are still not directly associated with a context. When the spatial information is available these designations will be made; again GW will seek a volunteer to undertake this work as an MA research placement. The standard of the archives has enabled very detailed interpretation of the excavations, including significant advances on our previous understandings. For example, the Belderg Beg roundhouse can now be seen to have developed through three phases of building which have specific stratigraphic relationships to the cultivation evidence in the area. Interestingly, these
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

relationships do not sit comfortably with some of the palaeoenvironmental research recently undertaken in the area (see report for discussion). Internal structural evidence at the Glenulra enclosure suggests a number of different buildings that were not originally identified by the excavator, whilst models of major modification to the Rathlackan Court Tomb can be proposed. Even allowing for the assessment of the archives made in 2008 the complexity and quality of the evidence surpassed our expectations, and more time than anticipated has been allocated to resolving these key stratigraphic questions. This in turn has meant that we have not been able to fully process samples although full catalogues and registers for all of these are complete with assessments of their status and potential. The reports that accompany this summary demonstrate the success of this phase of the NBNM project.

Illustrations: This phase of the project did not attempt to create any final illustrations for publication, consequently, the images reproduced in the stratigraphic reports are not those that would accompany a final report. They include plates and a range of line drawings, some fully inked up, some still in pencil. In as far as is possible these images have been presented to a high standard, but many require formal digitising and standardisation which it has not been possible to undertake at this stage. Likewise, for some sites, an overall spatial plan has not been produced, and we rely on the original location maps produced by the excavators. Artefacts/Samples: as part of the analysis all artefacts and samples were catalogued by David McIlreavy. In all instances the material requires specialist analysis, but the wealth of the material is clearly apparent. For lithics a broad classification was utilised by DMI comprising tools (formal retouched objects), blades/flakes/cores and finally small production waste (debitage, informally defined): these terminologies are not those used in standard lithic analysis. Ceramics, in particular, present some challenges, as many pieces are highly degraded. All artefacts are formally labelled and boxed according to NMI standard. Samples have been catalogued and a preliminary assessment of their quality made. Radiocarbon dates: unless stated otherwise, all radiocarbon dates are quoted at 95% confidence intervals and have been calibrated with Oxcal 3.10.

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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

4. Outcomes
By Dec 4th 2009 we have produced stratigraphic reports for all excavations. These include full, illustrated stratigraphical discussions, and with the exception of Behy, overviews of finds, samples and extant dating evidence and outlines of results of excavations and their potential and significance. The Behy report focuses solely on stratigraphy, given the developed character of previous work on this tomb. These substantial reports are included in this submission and represent a transformation in the basis of knowledge for the sites in question, providing the ground work for the specialist analysis now required. These will be sent to the DoEHLG in fulfilment of reporting requirements. These reports run to over 400 pages and over 180,000 words. The six reports are:
o Warren, G. M., D. McIlreavy, S. Rathbone and P. Walsh (2009). Archaeological Excavations at Behy (E747): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009. Caulfield, S., G. Byrne, M. Downes, N. Dunne, G. M. Warren, S. Rathbone, D. McIlreavy and P. Walsh (2009). Archaeological Excavations at Belderg Beg (E109): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009. Byrne, G., N. Dunne, S. Caulfield, G. M. Warren, P. Walsh, D. McIlreavy and S. Rathbone (2009). Archaeological Excavations in Association with the Construction of the Cide Visitor Centre (E494): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009. Caulfield, S., G. M. Warren, S. Rathbone, D. McIlreavy and P. Walsh (2009). Archaeological Excavations at the Glenulra Enclosure (E24): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009. Byrne, G. J., G. M. Warren, P. Walsh, D. McIlreavy and S. Rathbone (2009). Archaeological Excavations at the "Glenulra Scatter" (92E140): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009. Byrne, G. J., G. M. Warren, S. Rathbone, D. McIlreavy and P. Walsh (2009). Archaeological Excavations at Rathlackan (E580): Stratigraphic Report. UCD School of Archaeology/INSTAR: Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009.

The appraisal of individual sites has led to significant results o Belderg Beg: rather than one substantial Bronze Age round house, three phases of construction are now identified and these are closely related to the remarkable cultivation evidence on site. Neolithic and Bronze Age field systems and associated enclosures now understood much more clearly than was possible from summary accounts. Points of disagreement between stratigraphic
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

interpretations and recent palaeoenvironmental work highlighted as a key area for future research. Extensive body of artefacts and samples. o o Behy: stratigraphic narrative produced for Nuallins excavations, providing a coherent framework for integration of finds and other specialist analysis. Glenulra Enclosure: Caulfields excavations have been demonstrated to have uncovered a complex range of structural remains, covering multiple phases, with parallels to middle/later Neolithic structures elsewhere in Ireland. Nature of finds assemblage, with apparent absence of concave scrapers, suggests significant spatial/functional/chronological variation. Glenulra Scatter: review of rescue excavations carried out by Byrne. Limited structural information, but a concave scraper dominated assemblage provides important comparative material for other assemblages in area Cide Visitor Centre: we have produced the first synthetic account of the varied phases of excavation associated with the construction of the visitor centre, including reviews of the walls, associated structures and settlement evidence, including dating evidence running into the first millennium AD. Rathlackan: the first overall narrative for Byrnes excavations at this hugely significant court tomb and associated enclosure and small building has been generated. This includes evidence of substantial reworking of the tomb during the later Neolithic and Bronze Age.

Samples. An assessment of samples has been carried out but, as discussed above, samples have not been sieved and processed following the focus on resolution of stratigraphic issues. An outline of the proposed book for the general public is included with this submission (see below) Outreach: the results of this project have been presented, with due acknowledgements, in conference papers in Belfast and will be presented in early December in Belfast and Durham. Stratigraphic reports, without the appendices, will be made available on the project webpage (http://www.ucd.ie/archaeology/research/researchaz/northmayoproject/). Overview. Although not strictly part of this phase of analysis, the production of these reports has enabled Warren to synthesise extant dating evidence. The resulting time lines can be integrated with newly obtained palaeo-climate data from North Mayo generated by Warren, Davis and Holmes Climate Change and the Adoption of Agriculture in Ireland project (funded via the IRCHSS, RDI scheme) and associations between phases of prehistoric agriculture and climate change in the region explored. This work is ongoing, but has very significant potential.
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Neolithic and Bronze Age Landscapes of North Mayo 2009: Summary of Project

5. Outline of Proposed Book for Non-specialists

Belderrig and Cide Fields A Landscape Fossilised
Seamas Caulfield and Martin Downes The proposed book is aimed at the interested general public rather than the specialist, although it is assumed it will be of interest to a professional audience of archaeological and environmental as well. The target readers are for the non-specialists whom one could expect to attend extramural courses in archaeology, local or landscape studies, as well as those who visit the Cide Visitors Centre. The book will assume no detailed knowledge of the subject, and will present a full and detailed presentation of the human/environment interaction as researched over the last 100 years in Belderrig and Cide Fields. As such it will be useful for undergraduate students. The book will run to 100,000-120,000 words and will be fully illustrated with maps, plans, and diagrams as well as black and white colour photography. With illustrations the book will contain 250-300 pages. The subject matter will be divided into chapters as below (with authorship indicated). SC will be the sole author in dealing with the human story, while MD will deal with the scientific aspects, especially those pertaining to environmental history. The main focus of the book is anticipated to lie in Chapter Nine. Chapter Structure 1. Introduction: Scope and purpose of the book 2. The Stage: Geology and Geomorphology of North Mayo (MD) 3. History of Archaeological Research in North Mayo (SC) 4. Excavations at Glenulra and Belderg Beg (SC) 5. Probing and Survey work at Cide Fields and Belderrig (SC) 6. Bogs and what they hold (MD) 7. The organic record: pollen, pine and midges (MD) 8. The inorganic record: sands and tephra (MD) 9. People and their Place in Prehistory: issues of origin, economy and landscape in an Irish and world context (SC) 10. Public Archaeology: The Cide Fields and Belderrig Development projects and their socio-economic and cultural impacts. (SC/MD)
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