County: Meath Site name: HARRISTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0760
Author: Finola O’Carroll, Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 660934m, N 739664m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.403597, -7.083654
Pre-development testing was undertaken between 7 and 13 September prior to the construction of four pole sets for an ESB power line in Harristown. All were near recorded archaeological sites: pole settings 53 and 54 were within 100m of a ringfort (SMR 46:16) and pole settings 58 and 59 were within 150m of a second ringfort (SMR 52:1).
Two 1m2 test-pits were excavated on the site of each pole set, amounting to eight test-pits in total. Excavations at pole set 53 exposed a shallow layer of friable peaty soil overlying grey sandy marl subsoil. At pole setting 54 a modern cobbled field entrance overlay 0.18–0.24m of loose sandy topsoil. Underneath this 0.08–0.2m of light grey sandy marl overlay subsoil, a brown marl with stone inclusions.
Test-pits at pole set 58 exposed 0.45m of topsoil underneath a sod layer 0.08m in depth. The soil profile of test-pits at pole set 59 showed a similar soil profile, with increasing compaction towards the subsoil. The subsoil was compact grey sandy marl.
Nothing of archaeological interest was recorded in any of the test-pits.
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