County: Carlow Site name: Powerstown, Nurney
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0110
Author: Thaddeus Breen & Seán Shanahan, Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 671856m, N 669302m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.769969, -6.935156
An archaeological excavation was carried out between 3 June and 18 December 2020 at Powerstown, County Carlow, in an area into which an existing quarry is to be extended. The excavation was undertaken on behalf of Plazamont Ltd., trading as Dan Morrissey and Company (Ireland).
Prior to excavation, two archaeological monuments were already known in the c. 21.9ha permitted quarry extension area - CW12-202, an unexcavated ring-ditch near the south-east corner, recognised on aerial photographs as a cropmark, and CW12-093, a rectilinear enclosure with fosse, also recognised as a cropmark and subsequently excavated. There is no report available for the latter, under Excavation Licence No. 08E0960, but it was described as a moated site, a medieval settlement type.
The area excavated consisted of two east-west strips measuring 300m x 20m and 320m x 30m. A number of corn-drying kilns were found, mostly with figure-of-eight plans. These were associated with various stake-holes and pits that did not form a clear pattern. There were also a number of linear features, especially at the eastern end of the excavation. Some of these were drains; others were probably boundary ditches.
A number of sherds of prehistoric pottery were found, including some Cordoned Urn fragments. Pieces of flint were also found, probably waste material from tool manufacture.
Excavation was completed on the part of the site which was stripped and opened in 2020; the remaining area between the two strips and the balance of the c. 21.9ha quarry extension area will require archaeological investigation before quarrying operations can commence in those areas.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
