1993:192 - 'Ardcarna', Ardcarn, Roscommon

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Roscommon Site name: 'Ardcarna', Ardcarn


Author: Eoin Halpin, ADS Ltd., Powerhouse, Pigeon House Harbour, Dublin 4.

Site type: Close to monastic enclosure

ITM: E 586754m, N 802112m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.968130, -8.201876

The site is situated to the west of the junction of the N4 and the county road 115 in the townland of Ardcarn, close to the townland boundary with Farranagalliagh West. It is rectangular in shape, with its long axis aligned north-east/south-west and measures 150m x 30m. It is divided in two by the line of an ancient road which crosses the area from south-east to north-west. This feature is defined by two low banks, set 10m apart, each standing at best 0.5m above the level surface of the road way and measuring 3.5m in width. The south-western end of the site slopes gradually down towards the south and consists of featureless improved grassland. To the north of the ancient road in the site are the ruins of a derelict house. The area to the north and west of the site is dominated by the remains of an early monastic site of Ardcarna, with a series of earthworks running from north to south along the ridge of high ground. It is also likely that there is a prehistoric aspect to the remains, as the name Ardcarn (Ard: high, Carn: Cairn) would suggest a prehistoric burial mound in the vicinity.

A section across the line of the ancient road revealed that the defining banks had been formed by the continual scraping back of soil and other debris over the line of the road and dumping the material on either side. No evidence for a skeletal soil profile was noted beneath either bank. No other features of archaeological significance were recovered.