2020:333 - Gortanahaneboy West 1, Kerry

Stage (iii) Excavation was carried out between 20 July and 24 July 2020 at the site of Gortanahaneboy West 1 in advance of construction of the N72 Stagmount Bends Road Improvement Scheme, Co. Kerry. The work was carried out under Licence Numbers 20E0075 (Excavation) and 20R0020 (Metal Detection), on behalf of Kerry County Council. The site was discovered in the central section of the scheme in the townland of Gortanahaneboy West during advance Stage (i) Test Excavations undertaken in 2019 by AMS.
The site consisted of a small group of pits, post-holes, a single stake-hole, a charcoal-rich spread and a hearth. A series of post-medieval/modern drainage features was also revealed traversing the site, one of which truncated the archaeology. The archaeology was manifest primarily as a centrally disposed cluster of features, with a second cluster located in the western area of the site. The central cluster comprised four post-holes, one stake-hole and two pits dispersed over a small area with no discernible pattern. The western cluster consisted of two pits, one post-hole, one charcoal-rich spread and a hearth, also displaying no pattern.
Only a single artefact, a single sherd of post-medieval pottery from a post-medieval/modern ditch, was recovered from the excavation. Although no datable information or artefacts were gleaned from the excavation of the pits, post-holes, stake-hole, spread or hearth, the features at Gortanahaneboy West 1, given their proximity to burnt mounds excavated at Gortanahaneboy East 1 (Licence Number 20E0072) and Gortanahaneboy West 3 (Licence Number 20E0077) on the same scheme, may represent the remains of a small habitation site of possible prehistoric date.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing and it is hoped that specialist reports, including radiocarbon dating and comparative research, will further enhance our understanding of the site.

Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd, Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare