County: Limerick Site name: Hermitage
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LI001-001--- Licence number: 18E0356
Author: Tracy Collins, Aegis Archaeology Limited
Site type: Fishing weir and Mesolithic activity
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 565043m, N 661450m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.703047, -8.517234
Geophyiscal surveys and a geoarchaeological landscape assessment of the Hermitage Mesolithic site and environs was undertaken. This site was first excavated in 2001 by the writer. The purpose of this assessment was fourfold: to review the results of the excavations and post-excavation analyses, to review the geological, geomorphological and sedimentological
evidence, to report on geophysical surveys, and to report on an auger survey, where 16 samples were retained. Examination of diverse geological, soils, Ordnance Survey Ireland, and LiDAR mapping, and historic aerial imagery has shown the potential preservation conditions at the site and beyond, to be good, if localised. The course of the River Shannon is thought to have been stable since before the Mesolithic settlement of Ireland, although understanding the hydrological regime has proven difficult thus far. Geophysical surveys (conductivity 18R0075 held by C. Hogan; magnetometer 18R0123 held by T.Collins) have established the presence of numerous anomalies which relate to geomorphological processes, probable archaeological features, and modern activity at the site. Geoarchaeological augering and the resultant deposit model have established the location of a capture point for palaeoenvironmental data, and have identified a possible colluvial deposit associated with the Mesolithic archaeology which may both explain its
preservation, and the recovery of lithics from the wayleave-walking of the original excavations.
Post excavation analyses on sixteen auger samples is taking place presently and material for radiocarbon dating is expected.
The assessment has concluded that: Further Mesolithic archaeology may be preserved at the site; Solid and superficial geologies are appropriate to varied prospection techniques; post-Mesolithic activity revealed in the 2001 excavations is the only impact identified which may have truncated Mesolithic deposits, save for light agricultural practice. Little has changed in the period 1841-2017; discrete areas of alluvium and lacustrine deposits nearby may prove viable contexts of preservation for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction; the calcareous nature of the solid and superficial geologies at the site are likely to aid the preservation of organic archaeological material.
This project was part of HARP (Hermitage Archaeological Research Project), the writer was assisted in this project by HARP team members. The research was generously funded by the RIA and NMS research excavation grant for 2018. See https://sites.google.com/york.ac.uk/harp/home.
32 Nicholas Street, King's Island, Limerick V94V6F7
