County: Kerry Site name: Gortanahaneboy West 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0076
Author: Tony Bartlett
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 511624m, N 591634m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.069593, -9.289074
Stage (iii) Excavation was carried out between 20 July and 28 July 2020 at the site of Gortanahaneboy West 2 in advance of construction of the N72 Stagmount Bends Road Improvement Scheme, Co. Kerry. The work was carried out under Licence Numbers 20E0076 (Excavation) and 20R0020 (Metal Detection), on behalf of Kerry County Council. The site was discovered in the central section of the scheme during advance Stage (i) Test Excavations undertaken in 2019 by AMS.
The site of consisted of a small pit, a post-medieval/modern agricultural drainage ditch and a series of field drains. The pit was sub-oval in plan, measured 1.1m by 0.9m by 0.28m in depth and contained two fills. The ditch had maximum dimensions within the excavation area of 22m in length by 2.17m in width by 0.26m in depth and truncated a series of field drains which had dimensions which averaged 8m in length by 0.4m in width by 0.15m in depth.
No artefacts were recovered and in the absence of absolute dating, nothing further can be postulated about the provenance or function of the single pit. 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
