County: Kildare Site name: BROADLEAS COMMONS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E4269; C459
Author: Gill McLoughlin
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 692353m, N 708167m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.116055, -6.620430
An assessment was carried out to study the impact, if any, on the archaeological resource of a proposed house in the townland of Broadleas Commons, Ballymore Eustace. The development area is adjacent to a standing stone and possible barrow site (KD029-01401/02). Testing was carried out in response to planning conditions attached to the proposed development. It follows a geophysical survey report carried out by Target Geophysics in January 2011 under licence 10R172.
In the geophysical survey various anomalies were identified in the north-west and south-east of the development area, including the remains of former boundary alignments and past cultivation. An abundance of small-scale positive responses suggested that some degree of natural interference was introduced to the data set. A former field boundary and cultivation identified in the geophysical survey were subsequently identified in the test trenches and are not of archaeological interest. Other anomalies identified in the geophysical survey are likely to be related to natural variations in the subsoil, which consisted mostly of sand with patches of gravel.
Testing was carried out on 10 March 2011 and no features or finds of archaeological interest were identified in any of the test trenches. No finds were recovered as a result of the metal-detection of the soil from the trenches.
The standing stone is located adjacent to the north-west corner of the proposed development site, in the neighbouring property, and there was no trace of a barrow, either on the ground surface or in the test trenches.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow
