County: Kildare Site name: CROOKSTOWN LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002864
Author: Emer Dennehy, for Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 679324m, N 697917m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.026053, -6.817523
This site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme, Phase 3: Kilcullen to Carlow. The pit, which was circular in plan, had a diameter of 0.95m and depth of 0.3m. It was recorded as containing a single fill described as a dark-brown charcoal-rich silty-clay. Archaeological resolution of the site took place in July 2007. The site is located 80m to the south-east of E2865 (see No. 781, Excavations 2007).
A 400m2 area was opened at the location of the pit to ensure no additional subsurface archaeological stratigraphy was present. Cleaning of the site revealed a large east–west land drain, 22m of which was present within the excavation area. The drain had an average width of 1.15m and depth of 0.31m. It contained two fills; the basal fill was a light-grey silty clay indicative of water passage. The upper fill was an orange/brown silty clay, presumably representing a backfill layer. This drain was subsequently cut by two parallel gravel land drains, averaging 0.25m in width by 0.07m in depth.
The pit identified during the course of testing was located to the west of the drain. It was subcircular in plan, measuring 1.56m north-east/south-west by 1.05m by 0.6m. It contained a single fill comprising a mid-orange/brown silty clay with 20% inclusions of sub-angular stones. No finds or material indicative of a timeframe or function were identified. No charcoal was identified. This site is not believed to be of archaeological significance.
Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork
