Short pollen profiles CF I (peat and underlying mineral soil) and CF III (mineral soil beneath wall), and pollen spectra from a plough mark

The short monolith (19 cm of peat and 10 cm of the mineral soil beneath), CF Ib, was taken at 40 m NW of the Visitor Centre (VC), immediately to the north of a transverse stone-wall. Mineral soil from nearby that was sealed by the stone wall also sampled (CF III: 10 cm long monolith). Pollen profile CF I (this has elsewhere been referred to as CF Ib) includes six spectra from the mineral soil and twelve spectra from the overlying peat. Profile CF III consists of six spectra. Four samples from the soil within a plough mark and two samples from the containing soil were pollen analytically investigated. The age/depth model for profile CF I consists of a linear regression line fitted to the three available 14C dates. As regards, profile CF III it is older than the basal peat in CF Ib, i.e. ca. 1000 BC. The pollen data support ascribing it to the Bronze Age. A bulk sample from the plough mark returned the 14C date 2390±40 BP. This suggests a fifth century BC date, i.e. early/mid Iron Age. LOI and tephra investigations were not carried out. These investigations relating to Céide Fields were carried out in PRU, NUIG, part-funded by The Heritage Council (of Ireland). The aim was to provide an environmental context for the establishment and use of the prehistoric stone-wall field system, and an overall chronological framework and an environmental history of the area.