County: Kerry Site name: Clahane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KE038–013 Licence number: 06E0455
Author: Laurence Dunne and Karen Buckley, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, 3 Lios na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Site type: Early medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 483255m, N 612683m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.253469, -9.709926
Test-trenches as a component part of an archaeological impact assessment were undertaken at a single house site in Clahane townland, situated to the south of Tralee town. The proposed development site is within the zone of archaeological potential around the site of a monument classified in the RMP as an enclosure. The levelled enclosure is scarcely discernible as a very slight rise on the landscape in the south-east of the proposed development site, the bank having long since been destroyed, whilst slight differential growth was also noted. The outline of an external fosse can barely be traced from the north-east to the south-east as evidenced by a slight depression.
Ten trenches were excavated across the proposed development site by a track machine using a 2m flat grading bucket. The topsoil comprised a dark-brown clayey silt with an average depth of 0.35m. The subsoil varied from white to orange sandy silt. Agricultural activity was recorded in Trench 7 in the form of a north-west/south-east drainage ditch, 1m in width. It was filled with a dark-blackish-brown sandy silt with moderate amounts of small sub-angular stones, while a single sherd of modern pottery was also retrieved from the ditch fill. Two drainage ditches were also recorded in Trench 3.
A north-west portion of the fosse of the enclosure was recorded in Trench 8. The width of the fosse revealed was 2m and it was sectioned to establish its depth and morphology and possibly to retrieve datable material. The established depth of the fosse was 1.25m. Four fills were recorded within the fosse: the uppermost was mid-brown silty clay, with a depth of 0.6m, which overlay mid-grey silty clay with a depth of 0.15m. This, in turn, overlay mid-greyish-brown clayey silt with a depth of 0.4m, while the basal layer was dark-greyish-brown clayey silt with a depth of 0.1m. Inclusions were few, generally comprising small to medium angular and sub-angular stones. There were no artefacts or any other datable material recorded in the cutting of the fosse. No trace of the levelled bank was recorded; however, the external fosse or ditch of the monument was determined and instrumentally mapped.
The results of testing clearly demonstrated that there will be no direct physical impact on the recorded monument site. Mitigation measures regarding proposed construction conditions were recommended, including monitoring.
