2002:0908 - DUNCREEVAN/PITCHFORDSTOWN/BOYCETOWN/KILLICKAWEENY/NICHOLASTOWN/CAPPAGH/BALLYNAKILL/BALLYVONEEN/BALLYCARN/JOHNSTOWN, Kildare

Testing was carried out as part of the Kinnegad– Enfield–Kilcock (Contract 3) Bypass. The overall scheme (Contracts 1–3) involves the excavation of c. 35km of motorway, commencing to the south-west of Kinnegad in County Westmeath and continuing eastward through counties Meath and Kildare, terminating at the western end of the existing M4 motorway at Kilcock. Contract 3 covers the route from Kilcock to the east of Enfield (c. 11km).

A linear trench with offsets at 25m intervals was excavated across all areas of land-take in an attempt to define areas of previously unrecognised potential. This testing was designed to allow comment on the archaeological impact of the proposed development and to enable a risk assessment of the potential for archaeological impact from the construction works to be developed at a pre-construction stage.

A total of 22 sites or potential sites were identified as part of the testing programme. A number of these sites were uncovered in areas of known archaeological potential as identified by the environmental impact statement and are summarised under their site-specific excavation licence numbers. This summary relates to sites identified by the testing programme outside areas of previously recognised potential.

Five broad areas of potential were revealed as a result of the testing. Area 1 was represented by Site AE23 and was excavated by Fintan Walsh (see No. 924, Excavations 2002, 02E1002). Area 2 was represented by both prehistoric and medieval archaeological deposits. Area 3 was at the very eastern end of the scheme and revealed prehistoric remains and an undated timber structure. The general vicinity of Cloncurry, in roughly the middle of the scheme, comprises Area 4 of archaeological potential. Area 5, in the vicinity off Cappagh Hill, revealed undated pits, post-holes and archaeological spreads.

The testing programme involved the excavation of a trench, c. 0.3–0.5m deep (depending on the depth of archaeological deposits or natural geology) and 2m wide, along the entire centre-line of the proposed route. Offset trenches (1.8m wide) were excavated off this centre-line on either side of the road at intervals of 25m (staggered at 50m intervals on each side) within the area of land-take. There was provision to excavate additional trenches in areas that revealed subsoil remains, in an attempt to define further their extent and condition.

Testing was carried out using three teams, each consisting of a supervisor and an assistant, under supervision of the director. Two machines worked continuously with each team; in general these were 20 tonne and 13 tonne in size. All machines were fitted with flat grading buckets. The general excavation methodology involved the larger machine excavating the linear trench, and at times some of the offset trenches, with the smaller machine being responsible mainly for excavation of the offsets and all backfilling.

Archaeological remains revealed at the time of testing were partially investigated and recorded. Generally this involved half-sectioning a representative sample of the features to allow reasonable comment to be made on the extent, character and condition of the archaeological resource. Written, drawn and photographic records were made. The features were either surveyed by GPS at the time of excavation or tied in to a permanent landscape marker that was subsequently surveyed. No archaeological features were fully resolved at the testing stage. When virtually all centre-line testing was complete, those sites identified were reinvestigated in an attempt to gain further information on the archaeological resource. This investigation involved either complete resolution, in the case of small, uncomplicated sites, or strategic testing designed to provide detailed comment on the archaeological resource of the general area and to allow estimates to be made regarding resolution at a later stage.

Site 2 (Area 2) was at the eastern end of the scheme. Assessment revealed a non-continuous U-shaped ditch measuring 4.8m (maximum) east–west by 4.2m (maximum), cutting the natural. This site was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 925, Excavations 2002, 02E0986).
Site 3 (Area 2) was at the eastern end of the scheme and consisted of three possible linear features extending beyond the excavation area and two large spreads of charcoal and burnt stone, along with a series of stake-holes and small pits or post-holes. This was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 926, Excavations 2002, 02E0987).

Two small archaeological features (Site 19, Area 2) were revealed in two separate trenches in Site 104. Site 104 was recorded in the environmental impact statement as a possible low-visibility semicircular enclosure, measuring 24m east–west by 15m, with apparent remains of an external ditch. Detailed testing in this area failed to uncover any remains of a bank or ditch or internal elements of the enclosure, with all testing revealing topsoil directly sealing natural. It is suggested that these two features are not related to the above-mentioned enclosure but are two isolated archaeological features. These features were later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 929, Excavations 2002, 02E0996).

Site 12 (Area 3) was revealed as a large stone spread in the east–west-oriented linear trench, extending for c. 7m north-east/south-west by 1.5m. Provisional interpretation suggested that this may be the remains of a souterrain. It was agreed in consultation with the project archaeologist that no testing of this feature would occur, and a geophysical survey was recommended in an attempt to assess the extent, character and condition of this feature before further intrusive fieldwork took place.

To the west of the above feature a number of cuts were recorded forming a series of linear features and a small rounded pit. A geophysical survey (by GeoArc Ltd) was undertaken in an attempt to clarify the extent and nature of the stone feature. The survey also aimed to assess the above-mentioned negative features and to ascertain whether any further subsoil deposits survived in this general area. Provisional results of the survey did not reveal any significant features. A number of subtle positive anomalies were detected, mainly linear and curvilinear, and three small, isolated, pit-type anomalies were also identified. A negative linear anomaly was recorded in the northern part of the survey area, the nature and form of which suggested a stone feature, although it was difficult through geophysical analysis alone to ascertain its true origin. This site was subsequently excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 877, Excavations 2002, 02E0992).

Site 22 (Area 3) was a north–south-aligned linear feature, revealed for a length of 3.2m and extending beyond the excavated area northward but within the proposed land-take. Testing revealed the feature to be 1m wide and 0.7m deep. It truncated a charcoal spread. Subsequent testing revealed the charcoal spread to measure 0.39m (maximum) north–south by 0.37m. It did not appear to be in a cut and was not heavily rich in charcoal. No finds were recovered from this deposit. It was 40mm deep and sealed the natural. This site was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (see No. 976, Excavations 2002, 02E0997).

Site 4 (Area 4) was in Cloncurry townland. Three possible pits were identified in an offset trench that extended northward from the centre-line trench. An area measuring 15m by 15m was later opened around these features. The main feature in this area was a circular enclosure, 5m in diameter and 0.3–0.5m wide. A section excavated in the northern half of the feature revealed it to be 0.11m deep, and only one fill was noted.

To the north of this feature were four circular pits. The largest measured 0.95m (north–south) by 0.9m; the second pit measured 0.38m (north–south) by 0.32m and was 0.21m deep; the third, almost circular pit measured 0.4m (north–south) by 0.35m; and the final pit measured 0.4m (north–south) by 0.2m. The final feature was a possible post-hole, measuring 0.12m (north–south) by 0.08m. This site was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 893, Excavations 2002, 02E0988).

Site 5 (Area 4) was an undefined series of post-holes and a pit, along with modern episodes, spread over a distance of 24m north–south by 17.4m. It was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 869, Excavations 2002, 02E0989).

A possible trackway (Site 6, Area 4) was discovered in the vicinity of the Ballycarron River. It appeared in both the linear and an offset trench and covered an area of at least 20m by 20m. No detailed investigation was undertaken at the testing stage. Three offsets were excavated to the north and south of the centre-line trench in an attempt to assess further the extent, character and condition of the possible archaeological remains in this area. Only the north-western offset revealed further deposits, mainly north-west/south-east-aligned timbers. This site was later excavated by Tim Coughlan (No. 870, Excavations 2002, 02E0990).

A geophysical survey was undertaken at Site 21 (Area 4), as this was indicated as an area of potential in the environmental impact statement. A cropmark was recorded in the environmental impact statement, consisting of a curved line that appeared to be an old riverbed and patches in the field that visually closed the curve to a roughly circular feature. Centre-line and offset testing failed to reveal archaeological deposits. Preliminary results of the geophysical survey, however, released after the centre-line testing, indicated archaeological features in the area of AE18, but these were identified to the north of the land-take. A second phase of testing was undertaken to test these anomalies. A trench was excavated along the very northern area of land-take in an east–west direction, with offsets extending to the south. These trenches uncovered a number of irregular, shallow, linear cuts, which excavation revealed to relate to modern farming practices. Testing did not reveal any archaeological remains in the area of the land-take, but reference to the geophysical survey suggests that extensive archaeological deposits exist to the north of the road corridor.

Site 7 (Area 5) consisted of two possible stake-holes and a linear feature, testing of which revealed it to be modern and therefore of no archaeological significance. No finds were recorded from either of the stake-holes, which were fully excavated and resolved at the testing stage.

Linear testing and excavation in Site 8 (Area 5) revealed ten stake-holes, all of which were filled by a charcoal-rich spread. The stake-holes were 0.06–0.17m deep and on average 30mm wide. Of these negative features, two appeared to be small double stake-holes with an average width of 70mm. Assessed collectively, the stake-holes formed a roughly subcircular feature measuring 1m east–west by 0.7m. A small possible slot-trench was also revealed, sealed by the charcoal-rich spread and cut into natural. It measured 0.6m north–south by 60mm (maximum) and was 40mm deep (maximum). It had a sharp break of slope at the top, with a gradual break at the bottom, giving way to a flat base. Excavation of an area measuring 10m by 10m failed to reveal any further archaeological features in this area.

Site 15 (Area 5) was a burnt spread of compact, grey/brown, sandy clay with occasional charcoal flecking. It measured 1.9m east–west by 0.9m and was 30–50mm deep. It filled a cut with slightly tapered sides and a flat base. The burnt spread was stratigraphically earlier than a depression with gently sloping sides and a pronounced concave base. This measured 0.52m east–west by 0.16–0.3m and was 1.2m deep. It was filled by friable, red/grey, sandy clay with occasional charcoal flecks evenly distributed. These features are interpreted as a single phase of activity representing one episode of in situ burning. The depression and subsequent fill represent the most intense burning, with the larger fill material being directly associated and indicating less intense burning. This feature was fully excavated and recorded.

A small pit (Site 16, Area 5) discovered under the testing programme was revealed to be an irregular, shallow cut measuring 1m east–west by 0.7m. It had a gradual break of slope at the top and the bottom, with a flat base. It was 100mm deep and contained a fill of dark brown, silty clay with occasional charcoal inclusions. No dating material was revealed. The pit was cut into natural, a compact yellow/brown clay with occasional patches of decayed stone. An area of 10m by 10m was stripped at the assessment stage but failed to reveal any further archaeological remains.

This project was funded by Westmeath County Council.

8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin