County: Galway Site name: Site 107/108, Curtaun
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA128–043 Licence number: 07E0458
Author: James Kyle, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Bivallate enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 542073m, N 695515m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.007213, -8.863120
Investigations took place along the route of the proposed N18 Gort to Crusheen road scheme. The testing methodology of the bivallate enclosure consisted of an intensive trenching programme in an area measuring 80m by 40m in the vicinity of the site using a 14-tonne tracked excavation machine fitted with a toothless grading bucket. Two 20m by 2m trenches were to be excavated by hand across the ditch and bank; however, this work was not carried out due to the suspected presence of TB spores within a disused badger set within the ditch and bank of the enclosure. The intensive trenching on the exterior of the enclosure failed to find any evidence of an external ditch, but a badly disturbed burnt spread and five possible pits were found in this area. A number of agricultural furrows were also recorded in the trenches.
