County: Kildare Site name: CURRYHILLS II
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0570
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 683610m, N 727563m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.291777, -6.745904
The site was first noted as an area of burning during field-walking associated with the preparation of an archaeological assessment report in relation to the Prosperous Sewerage Scheme. The area to be disturbed by the scheme had been stripped of topsoil before the commencement of the report. However, the extent of the site was not readily identifiable when first discovered, and no attempt was made to determine this until the appropriate licence was issued by Dúchas The Heritage Service.
Clearance of loose topsoil cover, the result of previous topsoil-stripping, across the site indicated that the site consisted of a localised area of burning. The feature was irregular in plan (dog-legged) and measured up to 1.28m x 1.16m, with the long axis orientated north-east/south-west. There was evidence of scorched/burnt soil along portions of the south-west edge of the feature.
A trench measuring 1.1m x 0.4m was excavated through the burnt material. This revealed that the burnt material was 20–30mm thick and was made up of ash and lengths of cereal stubble. Most of the stubble was charred, but some unburnt and partially burnt stubble was in evidence. Furthermore, some fragments of burnt paper were also recovered. There was no evidence that the material occupied a depression or pit.
The nature of the evidence indicated that the feature was relatively modern, probably associated with cereal crop production, and no further archaeological investigation was undertaken.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
