County: Carlow Site name: MAPLESTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0130
Author: John Channing, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 684696m, N 685058m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.909685, -6.740830
Testing took place over a period of two days prior to development of a sand pit at Maplestown, Co. Carlow. The site comprised c. 17ha and was situated 4.5km south-west of Baltinglass. A geophysical survey was carried out by Target Archaeological Geophysics (licence 08R0286), identifying six anomalies in six areas. These areas were subject to detailed gradiometric scanning.
A programme of archaeological investigation was conducted for these various anomalies in the form of six areas of intensive test-trenching. In addition, a further linear test-trench, located to the south-west of the development area, investigated an area where geophysical survey was previously constrained.
Testing did not reveal any finds or features of archaeological significance. The depth of topsoil varied from 0.25m to 0.4m across the site. The subsoil consisted of mixed sands and gravels with distinct variations ranging from pockets of aggregate to banding and layering of sands. The subsoil reflected a glacial formation process. In general, the anomalies identified during geophysical testing could be associated with clearly defined subsoil variations.
