County: Louth Site name: COLLON
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0379
Author: Cia McConway and Peter Bowen
Site type: Possibly prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 699914m, N 781973m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.777743, -6.484099
The site is located just off the N2 Slane Road, approximately 600m south of Collon village and within Collon townland. The proposed development relates to an agricultural showroom, associated parking areas and the realignment and widening of a cul-de-sac.
The planning application included a condition for the monitoring of topsoil-stripping associated with the development. On arrival on site it was discovered that site works had begun without archaeological supervision, resulting in both the removal of topsoil and the disturbance of a 10–15m-wide area running adjacent to the eastern site boundary. Subsequent to this, where possible, the subsoil surface was refreshed under supervision.
The refreshing of the subsoil surface on the site was undertaken on 10 and 11 October 2011. This process involved the use of a back-acting digger fitted with a flat toothless bucket which re-cleaned the subsoil, allowing for the identification of archaeological deposits. In places residual topsoil remained; this was dark brown clay loam. The undisturbed subsoil on the site varied from yellowish-orange, soft sticky clay to areas of broken shale and gravels.
The refreshing of the subsoil surface resulted in the identification of four areas of archaeological potential, labelled Areas 1–4, located mostly within the western half of the development site. No artefacts were recovered from the site.
Area 1, in the south-west corner of the site, covered an area measuring approximately 21m north–south by 10m wide. Five pits of varying size, form and fill were uncovered.
Area 2, just to the north of the centre of the development site, revealed two pits, 0.7m and 1m in diameter.
Area 3, in the north-west of the development, revealed three pits of varying size and form and three circular post-hole features 0.2m in diameter.
Area 4, in the northern half of the development and north-east of Area 3, contained sixteen potential archaeological features, comprising what were thought to be twelve pits, three post-holes and one gully.
Excavations were undertaken in November 2011. Post-excavation analysis of the excavated features and recovered artefacts is being carried out.
Archaeological Development Services, Unit D, Kells Business Park, Cavan Road, Kells, Co. Meath
