County: Westmeath Site name: GA4, GARRANE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E1105
Author: Laurence McGowan, 27 Lindenwood Park, Foyle Springs, Derry, for Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 643111m, N 738468m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.394612, -7.351813
This work was undertaken as part of a programme of testing ahead of the proposed realignment of the N6 Dublin-Galway carriageway. The site is one of sixteen sites of archaeological potential identified during the compilation of an EIS. It is situated in the northern part of a field that is currently in pasture on the south-west-facing slope of a low hill at Chainage point 40,600m.
The site was identified by Markus Casey during the 2002 aerial survey of the proposed road corridor and described as one of 'at least five small circular features... all about 4m in diameter and have a slightly dished centre'.
The site was clearly visible as a hollow that is roughly circular in plan with a diameter of c. 20m. Only the southern half of this feature is located within the road-take and so will be impacted upon by the proposed development.
A test-trench was excavated along the northern boundary of the CPO, bisecting the area that had been identified in the 2002 aerial survey. A second trench was excavated running perpendicular from the centre of the first. Topsoil was removed to reveal a mixed surface consisting of areas of topsoil and redeposited natural together with deposits of grey silty clay. The landowner indicated that the feature was formerly a pond for drinking water for livestock until a series of plumbed water troughs had been installed throughout his lands in the late 1970s.
A section excavated into the feature revealed a wide feature with gently sloping sides that had largely silted up naturally. It reached a maximum depth of 1.1m below the current ground surface and 0.7m below the level of the natural. Several pieces of modern delft and slightly corroded iron were recovered from the basal fill of the pond. When the pond had already silted up to a point 0.7m below the current ground level, there was a substantial backfill of topsoil and subsoil, measuring up to 0.4m in depth, deposited in an effort to reclaim the pond. This too produced several modern pieces of delft.
