2008:633 - SHANAKEAL, Kerry

Test excavations were carried out at a proposed development site comprising a single dwelling with associated services in a single greenfield site in the townland of Shanakeal, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry. The site lies within the zone of archaeological potential of KE046–019, a rath.

Five test-trenches were excavated by a track machine utilising a 2m-wide flat grading bucket. The topsoil, which was an average 0.3m in depth, comprised dark-brown humic sandy silt with moderate small to medium sub-rounded pebbles. The subsoil comprised light-yellow medium-grained silty sand with moderate small to medium sub-rounded stones. A single possible archaeological feature was encountered in Trenches 1 and 2.

Trench 1 was situated running north–south along the eastern boundary of the site, adjacent to the ringfort KE046–019 located in the adjoining field to the east. A shallow ditch feature was revealed running east–west across Trench 1. This feature was also exposed in Trench 2 (a parallel trench situated to the west). The ditch was found to be 1.8m in width (north–south) by 0.7m in depth and contained three fills. The primary deposit comprised a number of loosely compacted lenses of charcoal and redeposited subsoil 0.4m in depth. The secondary deposit consisted of a moderately compact mottled light- to mid-orange/yellow redeposited subsoil with moderate inclusions of charcoal flecks and occasional pebbles and small stones, 0.2m in depth. The tertiary fill comprised 0.1m-deep dark-brown humic sandy silt. The cut of the ditch is V-shaped in profile with a flat base. No finds or datable artefacts were retrieved from the investigation of the ditch that would aid in an interpretation of the date or function of the feature.