2014:596 - Caheragh, Kerry

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Kerry Site name: Caheragh

Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 14E0015

Author: Margaret McCarthy, ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 607475m, N 653180m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.629793, -7.889583

A programme of archaeological testing was undertaken in the townland of Caheragh in an 11ha greenfield site adjacent to an existing operational quarry. The subject lands are contained within two fields located to the immediate west of the existing quarry and the test excavation was requested by the developers in advance of a planning application to extend the quarry in order to secure future reserves of stone. A ringfort (KE040-079) is located 200m north-east of the existing quarry and this is not being impacted upon by quarrying activities.

Two areas were investigated incorporating two large fields under pasture at the time of the test excavation. Testing Area 1 was situated on relatively flat agricultural land located in a large field to the north-west of the existing quarry. Testing Area 2 was situated in the field to the immediate west of the operational quarry. A total of 20 test trenches were mechanically excavated. The geophysical survey in these two fields identified a number of potential archaeological features as well as evidence of more recent agricultural activity including cultivation furrows. Cultivation furrows and possible linear drainage features were encountered in almost every trench and these were predominantly orientated north-west/south-east in Testing Area 1 and in more variable orientations in Testing Area 2. A few potential drainage features were half-sectioned and modern delft ware within the fill of one drain indicated that these features are of post-medieval or modern date.

Three isolated pits were exposed across the tested area. A shallow pit (F2) containing charcoal and burnt stones was exposed at the northern end of Trench 1 and corresponds with an area of localised burning identified in the geophysical survey. It was exposed on the surface as a localised spread of loosely compacted black soil with frequent charcoal and a half-section revealed it to be sub-oval in plan, measuring 0.57m x 0.5m and reaching a maximum depth of 0.13m. This feature was truncated by a cultivation furrow and therefore pre-dates the phase of intensive modern cultivation activity represented by numerous furrows across the entire tested area. An isolated pit/post-hole (F9) was exposed at the northern end of Trench 10. The diameter was 0.32m and a half-section indicated that it is 0.28m in depth. A third very regular circular shaped pit (F15) was exposed in Trench 15. In addition to the tree pits, a localised area of metalling (F5) possibly representing a former trackway through the field was exposed in the central area of Trench 8.

In conclusion, while the test excavation exposed a high proportion of man-made cut features, it is considered that the majority of these consist of cultivation furrows and former field boundaries and/or drainage ditches associated with modern agricultural activity.

Rostellan, Midleton, Co. Cork