Mayo -
15
Clare Island - Lecarrow - Fulacht
Fiadh
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Site/Artefact
Clare Island - Lecarrow-
Fulacht Fiadh group
Type
Burnt Mounds
Site
Number
Mayo 085 00507
National Grid
Reference
070350 East
285790 North
Map (
1:50000)
Ordnance Survey Ireland,
Discovery Series 30
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Fulacht
Fiadh
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Description
The Lecarrow group consists of seventeen
and one probable fulachta fiadh situated in the
eastern part of the townland of Lecarrow (Gosling,
1993). They are mounds consisting of burnt stones,
mixed with black soil and charcoal found along
streams, spring wells, in small peat basins and in
places where the water table is close to ground
level (Buckley, 1990, Lawless, 1996). Recent
experiments have shown that large quantities of
water could be brought to the boil in a trough
using stones that were heated until red hot in a
fire to cook large quantities of meat (Brindley,
1990, Lawless, 1995). After a number of burnings
the collection of discarded shattered stones would
form kidney-shaped mounds which are the turf
covered mounds we see today. The exact function of
fulachta fiadh is unknown but whether the correct
interpretation is a place for cooking or indeed a
place to bathe remains an important feature of
research (Barfield, 1991).
Indeed, many more uses have been put forward
including textile processing, leather working and
brewing (Ó Drisceoil, 1988). According to
some local traditions they were used by Vikings to
brew beer from heather (Corlett, 2000). Fulachta
Fiadh have yielded very few artefacts (Cherry,
1990). Radiocarbon dates from a number of sites in
Britain and Ireland fall generally in the middle
Bronze Age (Brindley, 1990). However their use up
to medieval times is explained by the discovery of
rotary querns in the body of some fulachta fiadh
(Morahan, 2001).
Excavation Details
Not Available
Access/Ownership
Clew Bay Archaeological Trail
References
- Barfield, L.H. 1991, Hot Stones: Hot Food or
Hot Baths? in Burnt Mounds Hot Stone Technology,
papers from the second international Burnt Mound
Conference Sandwell, 12th-14th October, 1990,
Pp. 59-65
- Brindley, A.L. 1990, Radiocarbon Dates from
Irish Fulachta Fiadh and other Burnt Mounds, The
Journal of Irish Archaeology, Vol. V Pp. 25, 30,
32
- Buckley, V.M. 1990, Experiments using a
reconstructed fulacht with a variety of rock
types: implications for the petromorphology of
fulachta fiadh, in Burnt Offerings,
International Contributions to Burnt Mound
Archaeology, Dublin, Pp.170-72
- Cherry, S. 1990, The Finds from Fulachta
Fiadh, in Buckley V.M. (ed) 1990, Burnt
Offerings, International Contributions to Burnt
Mound Archaeology, Dublin, p.49
- Corlett, C. 2001 Antiquities of West Mayo,
Wordwell, Wicklow, Pp.25-26
- Gosling, P. 1993, Preliminary report on the
Fulachta Fiadh of Clare Island, Co. Mayo, in the
New Clare Island Survey 1991-1995, Royal Irish
Academy, Pp. 9, 28-40
- Lawless, C. 1996, Levallinree Townland and
Lough, An Ancient Citadel: Fulachta Fiadh;
Dugout Canoes; Ringforts; Hutsites; St Patrick's
Stone; Mill and Mill-Race; and famine Gardens,
Cathair Na Mart, No.16, Westport, Pp.22-23
- Lawless, C. Barton, K. Monaghan, D. 1995,
Primary Observations of a modern Working
Fulachta Fiadh and a Geophysical Survey Of the
Modern and Ancient Fulacht Fiadh, Lack
East/West, Turlough, Co. Mayo, Cathair Na Mart,
No.15, Westport, Pp.48-50
- Morahan, L. 2001 Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo
archaeology, landscape and people, Croagh
Patrick Archaeological Committee, Mayo, p.
50
- Ó Drisceoil, D.A. 1988, Burnt Mounds:
cooking or bathing?, Antiquity, Vol. 62, Pp.
671-80
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