County: Longford Site name: Derreenavoggy, Aughnacliffe
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 23E0982
Author: Maeve McCormick
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 623851m, N 785765m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.820854, -7.637771
Archaeological Test Trenching was undertaken on a site at Derreenavoggy, Aughnacliffe, Co Longford. A total of 39 trenches totalling 1941 linear metres (3882 sq. m) were excavated from 27-29 November 2023. Two trenches (Trench 2 and 17) could not be excavated due to boggy and flooded land, while two trenches (Trench 29 and 36) had to be shortened due to constraints.
Topsoil comprised a dark brown, humic and friable silty clay with occasional stone inclusions which varied in depth from 0.1-0.6m; in swampy locations the topsoil is more waterlogged and humic (C1). The subsoil across the site comprised bright pale orange/yellow clay with frequent stones, occasional patches of grey gravel or stonier yellow areas (C2). Most of the geophysical anomalies could be explained by a distinct change in subsoil from clay to a more stoney or gravel patch particularly to the north-west of the site.
Across the site 15 linear features and one pit were recorded. Of the linear features; 4 were thought to be deep agricultural/plough furrows (C3, C5, C6 & C8), 11 linear features were deemed to be modern field boundaries (C4, C9, C10, C11, C12, C15, C16, C17, C18, C19 & C20). Ditches C10, C18 and C20 can be attributed to visible but now defunct modern field boundaries while, C12 & C16 contained modern tableware pottery.
Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded during the course of the works.
Archer Heritage Planning, Unit 1, Tenure Business Park, Co Louth A92 K2VF
