County: Wicklow Site name: COOLBEG
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WI031–045 Licence number: A022/066, E3252
Author: Goorik Dehaene, for Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 727703m, N 690595m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.950933, -6.099595
Site works comprised the assessment of the flint scatter site and the excavation of a pit, two hearths and two ditches at a site that was c. 4km south-west of Wicklow town. The archaeological investigation was undertaken in March and July 2006 on behalf of the National Roads Authority on the route of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow road improvement. The site, located on level ground, measured 60m north–south by 40m.
Prior to the removal of topsoil the flint scatter was assessed through the dry sieving of topsoil samples removed at 10m intervals across the site. The sieving programme did not retrieve significant flint finds, nor did the sieving identify concentrations of flint within the sieved area. Following the sieving programme, topsoil was mechanically removed and the exposed features were excavated.
The pit was in the east of the site and comprised a rounded cut with a single fill. The hearths were located in the north and north-west of the site. These features comprised shallow cuts with in situ burning and charred material. The ditches comprise two parallel linear features in the centre of the site aligned south-west/north-east. The ditches were c. 4m apart. Both ditches had a single fill. Flint was recovered during the sieving, topsoil removal and excavation of features on the site.
Coolroe, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow
