County: Kildare Site name: PROSPEROUS WATER SCHEME
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0064
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 682972m, N 727255m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.289102, -6.755565
Limited topsoil-stripping associated with the Prosperous Water Scheme commenced in August 1999 without the presence of an archaeologist. During this process, two sites of archaeological potential were uncovered in the townland of Curryhills. Site I was excavated and proved to be the basal remains of a pit, the fill of which contained burnt material (Excavations 1999, 125, 99E0569). A sample of this fill was subsequently submitted for 14C dating, and a date of AD 1005–1185 was produced. Site II was tested, the results of which indicated that it was of modern origin (Excavations 1999, 125, 99E0570).
Licensed monitoring of the remaining areas of topsoil-stripping and of pipe-trench excavations along existing roads continued until April 2000. The only features of note uncovered along the existing roads were culverts and former road surfaces, of probable 18th- and/or 19th-century date. In addition, the basal remains of topsoil and peat layers were uncovered, intermittently, along these roads, indicating the potential for the discovery of previously unrecorded and undisturbed archaeological deposits and sites under such features.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
