2009:173 - TULLYLEASE, Cork

An application to construct two dwelling-houses within the archaeological constraint zone of the early medieval ecclesiastical complex at Tullylease led to a request for a full archaeological impact assessment to be carried out. This was to include a geophysical survey as well as a test excavation. The proposed development is situated over 100m to the south of the ecclesiastical complex (CO006–006). Testing focused on those areas of the site to be subjected to maximum ground disturbance as well as on the anomalies identified by the geophysical survey. The magnetic gradiometer survey revealed ferrous material located across the entire site and it was suggested that the location of the development site adjacent to modern houses and the removal of an old driveway which once cut across the western end of the site are likely to have caused these anomalies. The earth resistance survey revealed the presence of a zone of low resistance in the north-west corner of the site which may have been archaeological in origin but was more likely to be associated with nearby construction activity. A small possible wall feature was also identified along with two zones of high resistance which provided further evidence for potential archaeological activity.
Three test-trenches were placed across the footprints of the proposed dwelling-houses. Two of these trenches (1 and 3) also incorporated a low resistance zone at the northern end of the site, while Trench 2 extended across the east–west footprint of the southern house as well as across a zone of high resistance at the southern end of the site. Trench 4 was placed across an area of high resistance in the south-east corner of the site. A fifth trench was located along the line of a possible wall feature in the north-east corner of the site.
Trench 1 was placed at the western side of the development site, in an area that had been subjected to some ground disturbance during the construction of the dwelling-house to the immediate north. It was placed north–south across the long axes of the proposed dwelling-houses and also incorporated a low resistance zone identified during the geophysical survey. The low resistance zone measured 18m in length and 5m in width. The trench measured 20m in length and the excavation indicated that all topsoil had been removed when this part of the site was used as a driveway in previous years. A layer of introduced pebble-stone measuring c. 0.15m in depth covered the entire northern side of the trench. Its removal revealed that the natural subsoil in this area had been reduced by almost 0.1m during previous construction work. The topsoil contained large amounts of domestic debris and had clearly been redeposited here once the former driveway had been removed. No finds or features of archaeological merit were present and the low resistance zone identified by the geophysical survey represents the layer of pebbles that once formed a driveway in this part of the site.
Trench 2 was placed east–west across the southern house site and through a high resistance zone identified by the geophysical survey. It measured 18m in length and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.4m. The soil profile in the northern section of the trench was the same as that noted in Trench 1 and consisted of introduced stone covering the natural subsoil. The ground at the southern end of the trench was undisturbed. Nothing of archaeological importance was uncovered and the high resistance zone identified by the geophysical survey is interpreted as a natural phenomenon.
Trench 3 was placed in the north-west section of the site to incorporate the low resistance zone identified in the geophysical survey as well as the footprint of the northern house site. It was oriented east–west and measured 20m in length. The introduced pebble-stones associated with the former driveway was noted throughout the trench and it overlay the natural glacial till excavated to a depth of 0.1m in places. Trenching revealed that nothing of archaeological significance was present and the low resistance zone identified during the geophysical survey represents the driveway that was originally located here.
Trenches 4 and 5 were placed at the eastern end of the site to incorporate a high resistance zone and a possible wall feature. They measured 15m in length and were excavated to an average depth of 0.48m. Trench 4 was located in the south-east corner of the site and the soil profile here was similar to that noted at the eastern end Trench 2. No features or finds of archaeological significance were present despite the identification of a high resistance zone in the geophysical survey. Trench 5 was placed in the northeast corner of the site to incorporate a possible wall feature identified during the geophysical survey. Trenching revealed an undisturbed soil profile and no features or finds of archaeological merit were present.