2016:634 - Crane 2, Wexford

Crane 2 was identified as a result of archaeological monitoring of ground works during the construction stage of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy PPP Scheme. Monitoring was carried out in 18 previously untested areas under Excavation Registration Number E004646 and Ministerial Direction A054.

The excavation at Crane 2 confirmed that the features on site were non-archaeological in origin, relating instead to modern land drainage. A field boundary that had previously extended across the northern limit of the site had been levelled. It had consisted of a bank and ditch, and the bank had been levelled into the ditch. A north-west/south-east aligned drainage ditch/gully (C3) was recorded, which contained a single fill formed by natural siltation. It was partially re-cut along its south-east limit. The re-cut drain contained two fills: a backfilled primary deposit of redeposited natural and a deposit formed through natural siltation. The north-west end of the drain contained a brown silty clay identified as levelled field boundary bank material. This suggests that the drain was probably at least partially open when the field boundary was levelled. The site was located within an area of recently planted forestry which had been cleared within the scheme extents, but was still extant outside the scheme Lands Made Available. The forestry contains large linear drainage channels and furrows which on inspection extend in a similar north-west/south-east orientation as the aforementioned C3 drainage channel, indicating that the latter was related to relatively modern forestry activity.

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