County: Dublin Site name: Priorsland
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 18E0650
Author: Liza Kavanagh
Site type: Bronze Age Penannular ditch and pit burials, pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 722285m, N 723930m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.251628, -6.167494
Test trenching took place between 8 and 14 November 2018, using a 13 tonne 360 degree tracked excavator equipped with a flat, toothless bucket. A total of 41 trenches were excavated within the area of proposed development. The layout of test trenches was designed to investigate the archaeological potential of the zone of notification for the recorded monuments DU026-080001–2 and geophysical anomalies identified by John Nicholls (Licence Ref:18R0197), with further trenches scattered in the open areas. The results of the testing will inform an impact assessment and mitigation strategy for a future planning application.
Testing revealed seven previously unrecorded areas of archaeological significance, which have been designated as Archaeological Areas 1–7 (AA1-7). These comprise a probable Bronze Age penannular ditch enclosing at least four cremation pit burials and two pits (AA1), two single pits (AA2 and AA3) and four areas containing disturbed spreads of burnt mound material (AA4–7). The latter features have been heavily truncated by modern drainage and in AA6 and AA7 scant remains of the presumed original archaeology.
AA1, in the south-west of the testing area, was subject to emergency excavation under the same licence in the end of November 2018, as recommended by NMS and NMI.
c/o IAC Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
