The Mullaghfarna Enclosures – an upland ’settlement’ in a passage tomb context

Project Description

The large number of hut sites on the exposed limestone plateau of Mullaghfarna, within the passage tomb complex of Carrowkeel, Co. Sligo, has been one of the most enigmatic sites in Irish prehistoric archaeology ever since it was first recorded by Macalister in 1911. The close spatial relationship with the passage tombs has often been seen as indicating a cultural link between the hut sites and the passage tombs, and Macalister assumed that the huts represented the domestic village of the builders of the tombs. However, as no dateable objects have been recorded on the karst limestone plateau, the cultural affinity of the hut sites has remained unknown.

A high resolution survey of the plateau was carried out using digital photogrammetry. The survey was carried out by Robert Shaw and Anthony Corns, The Discovery Programme, based on imagery captured by BKS Ltd, Coleraine. This initial part of the survey identified 153 enlosures/hut sites on the plateau. The second phase of the survey consists of the production of interpretative plans of each individual site. This work is extremely time consuming, as it involves extensive GIS analysis, followed up by detailed work in the field. This work is in progress.

With the main aim to establish the cultural context for the c. 150 enclosures/hut sites on Mullaghfarna, minor trial excavations were carried out in 2003. All three sites excavated produced finds of Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date. All archaeological material had been washed down into the often deep fissures in the bedrock, leaving no material in situ. To create a firmer chronological framework for the dating of the enclosures/hut sites, even though no material was found in primary contexts, ten  radiocarbon dates (AMS) were processed from the sites. The dating was performed by Centre for Isotope Research, Groningen, The Netherlands, and was funded by the Small Research Grant received from IRCHSS. The dates indicate both Neolithic and Bronze activity on the plateau.

Contact Details

Dr Stefan Bergh ( Profile)

Department of Archaeology,

School of Geography and Archaeology, NUI, Galway

Contact: stefan.berghnuigalway.ie

Funding Bodies

IRCHSS 2003/2004

The Heritage Council 2003

Project Publications

2003 The Mullaghfarna Enclosures, Mullaghfarna td. Co. Sligo. Excavations Bulletin 2003

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