County: Wicklow Site name: IDA Lands, Killincarrig
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E25 ext.
Author: Fintan Walsh, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Prehistoric settlement
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 729822m, N 710731m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.131288, -6.059965
Additional test-trenching was undertaken in advance of the construction of a distribution road at IDA Lands, Killincarrig, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Prior to this a programme of geophysical survey (10R8), testing and excavation (see Nos 840–1 above) was undertaken at this site, which identified a prehistoric (Neolithic settlement) site positioned on a gravel ridge overlooking lower land to the east. This additional phase of testing, which involved the excavation of six strategically placed test-trenches on either side of the area of excavation (within the footprint of the road), was undertaken to access the extent of archaeological deposits/features within the lands made available.
Test-trenching took place on 28 April 2010, using a 13-tonne mechanical excavator equipped with a flat, toothless bucket.
This phase of testing identified a concentration of archaeological features, similar to that identified and excavated within the excavation area, which were identified on the northern end of the excavation area and extend up to the limit of the lands made available. There were a number of features at the western end of the scheme, suggesting a concentration of archaeological activity in this area. These are likely to be similar in nature to those identified in the excavation area (charcoal-rich features with lithics and pottery). A small number of features at the western end of the scheme, to the south of the excavation area, may also indicate archaeological activity extending in this direction correlating with the increased occurrence of activity in this area indicated in the excavation area.
