County: Mayo Site name: Rockfield
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MA092–062 Licence number: 07E0127
Author: Richard Crumlish, 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 537164m, N 779517m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.761471, -8.952956
Pre-development testing was carried out on 28 February 2007 at a site in Rockfield, Claremorris, Co. Mayo. The proposed development, the construction of a house, garage, septic tank and percolation area, was located within the archaeological constraint for an enclosure and associated souterrain, within a pasture field. A portion of the enclosure extended into the site and was located c. 20m from the nearest groundworks, the driveway.
Testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches, located within the areas of most proposed disturbance. The trenches measured 90m, 22.7m, 25.8m and 32m long respectively, 1–1.3m wide and 0.2–0.8m deep. Below the topsoil were fill, orange/grey/brown friable silt loam, orange/brown friable clay loam and grey loose sand and gravel. The fill contained plastic, evidence of previous quarrying at the site, which was subsequently backfilled. Apart from the fill, the testing revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy and nothing of archaeological significance.
