County: Clare Site name: AREA 2, LATOON SOUTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0331
Author: Billy Quinn, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 536929m, N 671072m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.786980, -8.935017
In the summer of 1998 an archaeological investigation was carried out in the townland of Latoon South, Co. Clare, as part of the proposed N18/19 Ballycasey-Dromoland Bypass Road Improvements Scheme. This followed an Environmental Impact Survey carried out by Celie O Rahilly and subsequent site assessments by Christine Grant, undertaken in 1998. It was established that there were a number of earthworks and a disused quarry in the vicinity of Area 2.
Following Ms O Rahilly's and Ms Grant's recommendations, a non-intrusive geophysical and topographic survey was commissioned. The intrusive investigation concentrated on resolving the anomalies highlighted during the geophysical survey.
Two trenches, both measuring 5m east-west x 1m, were excavated to natural bedrock. Trench A was excavated to a depth of 0.35m and was positioned to investigate a horseshoe-shaped, soil-filled feature. Three contexts were encountered: the topsoil layer with a maximum depth of 0.05m, above a mid-brown, silty layer with a moderate amount of small stones, which overlay limestone bedrock. All of the layers were sterile.
Trench B was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.4m. To the west of Trench A, it was positioned to investigate a geophysical anomaly. The shallow sod and topsoil layer covered natural, brown, silty gravel with a depth of 0.35m. This directly overlay limestone bedrock. No archaeological features or deposits were found.
Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway
