County: Kilkenny Site name: Dunbell Big
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 22E0704
Author: Fiona Reilly & Seán Shanahan; Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 656105m, N 652246m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.618552, -7.171449
Archaeological test-excavations were carried out as part of an Archaeological Impact Assessment in relation to the proposed construction of a residential dwelling house, with associated site works, on a greenfield site in Dunbell Big, Co. Kilkenny. The site is located within the same field as, and approximately 50m east of the Zones of Notification associated with two RMP sites, enclosures KK024-013001 and KK024-013002.
Four test trenches were machine excavated across the proposed development site. These were laid out in a targeted array to cover the main footprint of the proposed development at the site. Trenches were 15-40m in length, 1.5m in width and 0.23-0.35m in depth. The sod layer measured 0.1m in depth, the topsoil being mid-brown sandy silt with a moderate amount of small sub-rounded stones. The natural subsoil layer comprised a moderately compact, mid-yellow brown sandy silt with occasional small stones.
No archaeological features were found at the proposed development site during archaeological test-excavation.
A metal detection survey in accordance with detection device licence no. 22R0298 was carried out in tandem with test-excavation. All excavated soil was subject to a visual assessment and to metal detection to identify and retrieve archaeological objects, carried out on the basis that a large quantity of archaeological objects have previously been recovered from Dunbell Big, and records indicate material from historically levelled monuments was spread on surrounding land.
Twelve objects were uncovered in the topsoil during a visual assessment and metal detection. A number of the objects are post-medieval or modern in origin, which is usual in rural, agricultural contexts. Of the metal objects recovered, nails and a spike are likely modern, while a copper alloy strip (22E0704:3) may be medieval in origin, and three rectangular notched objects are of unknown date and function pending expert analysis.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
