2004:1172 - ATHLUMNEY/LIMEKILNHILL/BALREASK OLD, Meath

Monitoring of all topsoil clearance associated with the construction of the R161–R153 link road, Navan, Co. Meath, took place over a four-day period in June/July 2004. The proposed road passes through the townlands of Athlumney, Limekilnhill and Balreask Old to its crossing point on the River Boyne. A portion of this road had previously been built during the construction of the IDA industrial estate and neighbouring housing developments. As a result, the portion of the road monitored under the current licence measured just 615m in length, the western 85m of which relates to the construction of a bridge over the River Boyne. The location points of the pier beds and bridge abutments were tested by Graham Hull in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 1356, 03E0613) and were found to be archaeologically sterile.

In total the area of road-take subject to monitoring measured 530m east-west by 17m. The site compound, measuring 100m east-west by 20m, was also monitored. A track machine utilising a flat grading bucket removed the topsoil to an average depth of 0.4m. The underlying subsoil was predominantly composed of a yellow/brown silt clay with occasional pockets of sand. Larger deposits of sand occurred at Chainages 1470–1510 and 1560–1580, supporting the presence of sand quarried in the area. The topsoil on the east wall of the River Boyne valley survived to an average depth of just 0.1m; in this area the underlying subsoil was a leached yellow/blue clay. No artefacts or stratigraphy of an archaeological nature were identified during the course of monitoring ground disturbance works.

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