County: Laois Site name: Trumra 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A015/164, E2281
Author: Tara O’Neill, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Industrial dump
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 639688m, N 694007m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.995320, -7.408805
This site was excavated in October 2006 as part of the programme of resolution of archaeological sites on the route of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme. The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority.
The two pits and spreads were all located in close proximity to each other. They all appeared to be related to industrial activity, with slag finds recorded from all of them. The area in which they were located was disturbed by ploughing and the features were truncated. Their fills were essentially the same and consisted of loose black silty clay with frequent lumps of slag and chunks of charcoal. With the exception of the slag no other finds were retrieved from these features and there was no evidence for in situ burning. The pits and spreads appear to represent dumps of industrial waste.
Samples from this site are currently undergoing analysis.
