2022:282 - Gael Campus, Caherroyn, Athenry (Additional Area), Galway

Test excavation was undertaken on 29 September 2022 on additional lands at Gael Campus Athenry, Athenry, Caheroyn, Co. Galway. Five trenches (430 linear meters) were excavated by mechanical excavator under archaeological supervision. Trenches were spaced at regular intervals and located in order to assess geophysical anomalies noted in an earlier survey (22R0085).
The entire site had been subject to landscaping during the creation of the football pitches. Due to the lack of metal finds uncovered by a metal detector survey (22R0197), it is likely the pitch was created relatively recently by removing the topsoil and spreading imported, screened topsoil across its entirety. The topsoil measured between 0.1-0.3m depth on average across the whole site. It comprised a dark brown, friable, clayey silt with moderate small stone inclusions. It overlay a subsoil comprising compact light greyish-brown sandy silt with frequent large, medium and small stones. This was occasionally mottled with bright orange/yellow sterile clay.
No archaeological features or objects were recorded in any of the excavated trenches.

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