Achill Archaeological Field School

The first archaeology Field School in Focus for the 2009/2010 school year is Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland, where incredible landscapes and fascinating archaeology compete for the student's attention. From local academic coordinator Theresa McDonald.

Achill is the largest of the Irish Islands, located in County Mayo in Western Ireland. The island is separated from the mainland and Corraun peninsula by the Sound, a narrow sea-channel only 150m wide. Achill measures 24 km from east to west and 18km from north to south.

A Promontory Fort that probably dates to the Irish Iron Age (c. 600 B.C-300 A.D.), one of a group situated on both the northern and southern shores of Achill Island. Achill Beg Island is in the background where one of the most complex of these promontory forts is located. Photo by Achill Archaeological Field School

Theresa McDonald, a resident of Achill and currently enrolled in a PhD. programme at NUI Galway, is a graduate of the Institute of Archaeology, London and the National University of Ireland, Galway. She established Achill Archaeological Field School in 1991. Initially the goal of the field school was to complete a survey of all archaeological sites on Slievemore and supplement this through small-scale excavations. Over the last nineteen years, the scope of the study has been expanded to include other areas of the island, which relate directly to Slievemore at different periods, whilst ongoing survey work continues to reveal new sites on Slievemore itself. The field school offers a range of short introductory courses to interested members of the public, modular courses for archaeology and anthropology students that come with academic credit from the National University of Ireland at Galway and CPD courses for members of the archaeological profession.

While Achill Island has a wealth of archaeological sites spanning a 5000-year period, the Field School has largely concentrated on the archaeology at Slievemore. The most immediately impressive archaeological sites on Slievemore are the Deserted Village, which was abandoned during the second half of the nineteenth century Associated with the village are extensive lazy-bed field systems, which are like a smaller, hand dug, version of the classic ridge-and-furrow system but used mainly for growing potatoes. Achill Archaeological Field School has fully excavated two of the buildings in the Deserted Village. Excavations at House 36 revealed a fine flagstone floor with a cross drain running from east to west and a hearth set against the northern gable wall. Two areas of unpaved floor are suspected to have been sleeping areas and/or used for furniture e.g. a table and cupboard. Wood from a table was identified as having come from one of the many 'wrecks' of the Spanish Armada which are found all around Clew Bay and North Mayo. A network of pathways, which also acted as drains, surrounded the house and traces of a large cobbled yard surface were found in numerous locations.

Excavations at House 23 revealed a simple floor of beaten earth. A substantial stone lined east west cross drain was found to overlie an earlier and much slighter curvilinear drainage system running from north to south and draining through the southern gable end wall. Again, the hearth was set against the northern gable wall but here a stone bench had been built into the adjacent wall. A number of external features have also been examined including the garden plots to the north and west of the building, a lean to structure attached to the north gable was used to store ashes from the fire and a large manure pit is located immediately outside the eastern door. Excavation between the two buildings investigated the pathway that ran through the village, which was found to have had a finely laid cobbled surface which had been re-laid in its entirety at some as yet unknown point.

Prehistoric Landscapes

Corbelled Booley (transhumance) Hut at Annagh, Achill Island, Co. Mayo. West of Ireland. This site was used for seasonal transhumance up until the mid 19th Century A.D. The variety of house types may suggest occupation over a long period of time. In 2010, the Achill Archaeological Field School plans to excavate one of these huts. Photo by Achill Archaeological Field School

On the higher slopes of Slievemore, above the fields of the Deserted Village, there are abundant traces of a prehistoric landscape preserved under the blanket bog, which Achill Field School is just beginning to investigate in depth. A series of sinuous pre-bog walls run directly up the mountain almost as far as the scree slopes that surround the summit. Between the field walls running in a line along the 150m contour are a series of circular platforms thought to represent the remains of eight Bronze Age roundhouses, the western most pair Roundhouse 1 and Roundhouse 2, were partially excavated between 2006 and 2009. In addition to these sites, the ongoing survey work has revealed all manner of small huts and stone foundations between the 200m and 300m contours. On the southeastern slopes of the mountain are a group of megalithic tombs including two court tombs, two unclassified tombs and a portal tomb. A second Portal tomb is located on the northwestern foot slopes of Slievemore, close to a booley (transhumance) village at Annagh. None of these tombs has yet been excavated and this is an area that the Field School will look at in the future.

The Achill Archaeological Field School is associated with the National University of Ireland, Galway who provide academic credit for students attending the Field School. Full details of courses and associated academic credit can be viewed on our website at http://www.achill-fieldschool.com

More Information

• Contact: Theresa McDonald, Local Academic Advisor - NUI Galway, Archaeology Centre, Dooagh, Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland. Email: theresa@achill-fieldschool.com
• Dates: Three modules: one six-week (May 31-July 9, 2010); and two four-week modules (May 31-June 25, and June 28-July 23, 2010).
• Official Achill Field School Website
• More Field Schools in Focus