2022:882 - LYSAGHTSTOWN, Cork

Archaeological test-trenching was undertaken in compliance with a planning permission granted by Cork County Council .

The location of the test-trenches was dictated by areas proposed to be developed and the results of a geophysical magnetometer survey (22R0255). The survey detected some isolated features that were deemed to have ‘limited archaeological potential’ and these responses, along with other liner trends, were subject to test-trenching. By and large, the trends apparent in the geophysical survey relate primarily to linear agricultural features such as old field boundaries and field drains of early modern date.

Of of the twenty-nine trenches excavated across the site, four contained charcoal material (F6, F7, F11, F12, F3) found within pits or ditches. Two of these (F6 and F7) can be interpreted as ditches related to an historic property boundary (Trench 11), and therefore of little archaeological significance. A small pit (F3) identified in Trench 2 did not contain any significant amount of charcoal or artefact finds and was filled primarily with a soft grey clay; its purpose is unclear, it may be an natural feature contained within the loose subsoil but an archaeological interpretation can not be ruled out, although it is less likely. The same could be said for the pit (F11) identified in Trench 21. It was identified only by a small lens of charcoal in the upper horizon. It did not contain finds and was filled by what appeared to be backfilled natural subsoil. Its purpose is unclear; it may be related to modern farming activity, although it could also be of some antiquity. Although shallow in nature, a pit  (F12) identified in Trench 25 could be archaeological – it contained a considerable amount of charcoal and some fire-cracked cobbles, representing fired material dumped into the pit.

The other features identified across the trenches correspond to agricultural furrows, drains and relict field boundaries (F1, F2, F4, F5, F8, F9, F10, F13 and F14) of post-medieval/early modern in date, most of which were detected by the geophysical survey.