County: Sligo Site name: CALTRAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0945
Author: Sebastien Joubert, on behalf of Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 565605m, N 824176m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.165410, -8.526690
Pre-construction testing was undertaken in a marshy area in the Caltragh Valley which is close to two fulachta fiadh and which is to be affected by the proposed Sligo Inner Relief Road. The zone affected by the road measures 100m east–west by 50m.
The first test-trench, 100m by 2m, was aligned east–west in the centre of the proposed slip-road. All the other nine trenches were offsets from this, aligned north–south. The field slopes downhill to the east towards a stream. The bottom of the field was very marshy. The field could therefore be divided into two parts: the western part could be considered as pasture, while the eastern half could be considered as wetland. The stratigraphy in the pasture area, consistent throughout, consisted of sod and topsoil deposits overlying the natural boulder clay. In the wetland area the sod consisted of sphagnum moss, reeds and rooty material. It overlay a series of peaty deposits. C.5 was a peaty layer. The moss was still present but in a more decomposed state. There was also a higher concentration of water in this deposit, which was a transitional context between the sod and C.6. Evidence of natural wood, roots and branches was noticed within. C.6 was a dark brown/black layer of decomposed mosses and reeds, with a very high water content. Large pieces of wood, trees, branches and root system were investigated. They appeared to be natural rather than part of a wooden structure. This dark peat layer overlay a natural silt, light grey/white with a blue tinge.
No archaeological remains were uncovered during this phase of pre-construction testing.
Horge House, Camp, Co. Kerry
