2009:128 - CHETWYND VIADUCT ROAD SCHEME, Chetwynd, Cork

Testing was carried out, on behalf of the National Roads Authority, in advance of the proposed widening of a short section of the existing N71 Bandon Road (National Secondary Route), the Chetwynd viaduct road scheme. Testing revealed: a suspected Bronze Age burnt mound within Test Area 1; agricultural furrows, a ditch and several pits of unknown age in Test Area 2; and a number of dispersed features in Test Area 3 that included a suspected stone revetment wall, deposits, furrows, ditches, a stone surface and a stone drain.

Test Area 1 uncovered a large burnt mound. It was made up of fire-cracked stones and charcoal and measured 42.02m long, 31.06m wide and at least 0.38m deep. Judging by the size of the burnt mound it is likely to have been used during several episodes of activity.

Test Area 2 uncovered a number of archaeological features including two agricultural furrows, a U-shaped ditch and four pits. The most significant feature discovered in this area was the ditch. It is evident for a length of 22m, was c. 1m deep and 2m wide, was orientated north-west/south-east and appeared to be curving slightly westwards at its northern limits. There appears to be have been at least two phases of activity occurring in this area. These are represented by the curving ditch that cuts one of the pits. Also two of the pits were discovered at a greater depth than the other features in this area and may also form part of this earlier phase of activity. The rest of the features, including two agricultural furrows and the other two pits, may represent a later phase of activity that may be associated with the curving ditch.

Test Area 3 uncovered suspected archaeological features in all six trenches. The features included the remains of a stone-revetted wall, six deposits, three furrows, two ditches, a stone surface and a stone drain. It is likely that additional archaeological features are located between the test-trenches. The most significant feature was the stone-revetted wall. It ran east–west and appeared to be slightly curving in a south-western direction. This revetted wall may represent the remains of a boundary or part of a possible enclosure. This wall was in very close proximity to a pit that contained a sherd of North Devon gravel-tempered ware (17th century). This may be an indication that the archaeological activity in this area was post-medieval in date.