2002:1986 - RATHMORE (Monitoring Site 20, Killoughter), Wicklow

Excavation at Monitoring Site 20 began in June 2002 and continued for four weeks. The site, which had been identified during monitoring of topsoil-stripping on the N11 Newtownmountkennedy– Ballynabarny Road Scheme, consisted primarily of a large deposit of archaeologically derived soil, into which various features were cut and from which a small number of sherds of pottery of probably prehistoric date were recovered. To the north of this was a linear ditch feature extending outside the limit of excavation. The site was in the townland of Rathmore, c. 200m north of Monitoring Sites 21 and 22.

An area measuring 45m by 10m was opened for further investigation. Layer F1 was in the southern half of the site. Irregularly shaped, it measured a maximum of 12.25m north–south by 10m (before extending beyond the limit of excavation). Overlying subsoil, it had a minimum depth of 0.01m at its northern, western and southern limits, rising to 0.3m at its eastern limit. F1 consisted of a relatively compact, dark brown, silty clay with occasional charcoal flecking. A number of sherds of prehistoric (possibly Bronze Age) pottery and a leaf-shaped arrowhead were retrieved from this material. F1 was overlain by F17, which was also irregularly shaped, measuring 4.25m north–south by 3.5m, with a maximum depth of 0.05m. It consisted of a loose, black/brown, silty clay with frequent charcoal flecking. A number of features were cut into F1.

Ditch F21 entered the site from its western limit, c. 8m north of layer F1. The ditch was curvilinear and extended roughly north–south for 22m before exiting the site, again along the western limits. Roughly U-shaped in section, the ditch was 1.4–1.6m wide and was cut into subsoil to an average depth of 0.65m. It contained three main fills: F22, F40 and F41. F22, the upper fill, consisted of a loose, mid-brown, sandy, gravelly clay with occasional charcoal and was 0.4–0.85m deep. A number of sherds of medieval pottery were recorded in this layer. F40, directly below F22, consisted of a mid-grey/brown, gravelly clay with an average depth of 0.3m. F41 formed the basal layer and was also recorded lining the sides of the ditch in some areas. It consisted of a light grey/brown, gravelly clay with an average depth of 0.2m. It is likely that this material is redeposited subsoil.

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