County: Kerry Site name: KNOCKANCUIG, Tralee
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0608 ext.
Author: Emer Dennehy, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 482225m, N 614803m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.272292, -9.725741
Monitoring of the second phase of construction work associated with a housing development at the above site commenced in late 2000, with the excavation of the site access road. Phase 1 was reported on by Jacinta Kiely in Excavations 1999, 118.
The topsoil was cleared to an average depth of 0.4m, exposing the underlying clay subsoil. The initial archaeological impact assessment for the development had identified two potential features in the north-east section of the site. These were also identified through examination of the relevant aerial photographs, at which point a third possible feature was also identified. The initial two features consisted of two raised platforms with above-ground registers of 0.5m. Given the location of these features in a rich archaeological landscape, it was possible that they were the remains of barrows. The third feature, identified initially through aerial photography and subsequently in the field, was a linear feature running in a north-west/south-east direction across the site.
Two test-trenches were opened to identify the nature and extent of the features. A third trench was excavated on the footprint of the proposed sewerage system.
Trench 1 was T-shaped in plan and measured 32m by 8m. It had an average width of 1.5m, and the depth varied from 0.05m to 0.7m. The trench examined one of the potential barrows and the linear feature. Both proved to be non-archaeological, consisting of raised platforms of limestone bedrock.
Trench 2 was positioned to overlie the second barrow feature. It measured 7m by 1m and varied in depth from 0.2m to 0.65m. This again proved to be non-archaeological, consisting of a raised platform of limestone bedrock.
Trench 3 was positioned on the footprint of the proposed sewer line. It measured 10m x 2m x 0.4m in depth. The stratigraphy consisted of topsoil overlying a yellow-orange clay. No artefacts or stratigraphy of an archaeological nature were identified.
3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry
