County: Louth Site name: Faughart Upper
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0917
Author: Fintan Walsh, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Prehistoric pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 705528m, N 812061m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.046906, -6.388571
Pre-development test-trenching was carried out on lands at Faughart Upper in January 2008. An initial phase of testing involved the excavation of two trenches, which were mechanically investigated across the test area. The test area was c. 180m south-west/north-east by 200m.
Geophysical survey of the site was carried out by Target Archaeological Geophysics in May 2007 (07R0144). High levels of magnetic interference from natural sources, former cultivation and landscaping had resulted in an irregular and disturbed data set from which no clear evidence of archaeological remains could be identified.
Two areas of archaeological activity were identified during testing. Area A in Trench 1 was identified by three possible pits/post-holes and a curvilinear ditch. The pits/post-holes contained charcoal-rich soils and hand-thrown pottery. Initial analysis of this pottery suggests that it is prehistoric, possibly of Bronze Age date. These features may be part of a larger structure extending beyond the limits of the trench to the east and west. The curvilinear ditch may be part of a circular ditch extending beyond the test-trench to the north-west.
Area B consisted of three possible archaeological pits of unknown date. The nature of these features and their fills suggest that they are less well defined than those in Area A, but they may be indicative of more intensive archaeological activity in the immediate area.
