2008:154 - Altamira, Cork

An application to Cork County Council to construct a single dwelling house within the constraint zone of a ringfort in Altamira townland near Liscarroll village led to a request for a test excavation to be carried out. The house site is located in a field that was formally known as Deer Park and may have been stocked with deer by the former residents of Altamira House, to the north-east. The ringfort (CO007–087) is located over 100m to the north of the proposed development. It is indicated on the third edition of the OS map as a hachured feature and encloses a circular area measuring 45m in diameter and is defined by a low earthen bank which was planted with beech trees when the site was inspected by members of the Cork Archaeological Survey in 1986, although these have since been removed.
The assessment entailed the excavation of test-trenches to determine the extent and nature of subsurface archaeological remains on the site. In all, four test-trenches were opened. Two trenches were laid out across the north–south and east–west axes of the house and the remaining trenches were placed at the location of the septic tank and along the driveway leading to the house. The topsoil consisted of mid-brown friable sandy sediment and it overlay firm light-brown/orange clay with occasional medium and small stones. The test excavation revealed an undisturbed soil profile and nothing of archaeological significance was present.