County: Limerick Site name: GORTEEN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 21:17 Licence number: 97E0230
Author: Audrey Gahan, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Moated site
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 549461m, N 647545m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.576857, -8.745639
An assessment was carried out in advance of construction of the proposed N20/N21 Adare–Annacotty road scheme. The site is marked on OS maps as a subrectangular mound, but inspection prior to excavation showed it to be heavily truncated, existing now as little more than a series of very slight bumps and hollows. To the south, a stream forms part of the field boundary.
Three trenches were manually excavated, all of which were 1m wide and which varied in length, being 13m, 10m and 5m long respectively.
Trench 1 revealed evidence of a roughly V-shaped, subsoil-cut ditch. This measured 2.8m from edge to edge and was approximately 1m deep from the cut. It was orientated east–west, extending beyond the limit of excavation, and is interpreted as an enclosing ditch. The main fill contained animal bones, oyster shells and a sherd of medieval pottery of 13th/14th-century date. A series of large stones were set into the inner face of the bank and possibly acted as a revetment.
The remains of a possible truncated bank were located beyond the outer edge of the ditch. This consisted of a mottled orange-brown sandy soil which represents redeposited subsoil. As it survived it had a maximum width of 1.65m.
Trench 2 was orientated roughly east–west and, while containing several sherds of 13th/14th-century pottery within the topsoil, revealed no evidence of a platform or any features of archaeological significance.
Trench 3 was also orientated east–west. This contained a subsoil-cut gully or shallow ditch which extended beyond the limit of excavation in a north–south direction. This was more U-shaped in profile and far less substantial than that in the previous trench. Although no datable artefacts were recovered from this feature, it is interpreted as a relatively recent field drain. Towards the western end of the trench a pit was uncovered which extended beyond the limit of excavation. The single fill consisted of an orange-brown silty clay with some charcoal flecking. No finds were recovered from this feature although a single sherd of medieval pottery, similar to those found elsewhere on the site, was retrieved from the topsoil.
Interpretation of this site suggests it to be a medieval moated site, enclosed by a ditch and an external bank. Further work is to be carried out here during the summer of 1998.
Westlink Enterprise Centre, Belfast
