2024:791 - Horsepasture, Tipperary

The mechanical excavation of test-trenches and the manual resolution of archaeological features was carried out between 6 and 29 February 2024. The archaeological test trenching targeted areas of potential archaeological significance highlighted in the geophysical survey of the site.  A total of 21 test trenches were excavated to test anomalies identified. Field banks recorded in Trench 2, Trench 8, Trench 9 and Trench 17 would appear to be associated with more recent agricultural activity and land division.  Similarly remnants of a farm track in Trench 13 and plough marks in Trench 3 are associated with agricultural activity. No associated archaeological features were encountered with the narrow linear feature recorded in T6 or the small area of isolated burning in T1 and they would appear not to be of archaeological significance.

Archaeological excavation at the site was concentrated on the recording and resolution of 7 features identified in the course of archaeological monitoring at the site.  These features were all located along the route of an access road to the site in the south of Field 2.  The archaeological excavation, undertaken by a small team of archaeologists, recorded and excavated 5 pit features, a linear feature and an enclosed ditch feature. The latter (Feature 7) consisted of a raised area surrounded by a double ditch. The northern half of this site was manually excavated as it is within the area of the development.  The remains of a single, poorly preserved, incomplete articulated burial human were recorded from the mound.  The remains were excavated by osteoarchaeologist Caoimhe Tobin and were determined to be those of a juvenile between six and eight years of age.  A sample of human bone was selected for dating and delivered to Queen’s University Belfast (Sample No. UB 58587), however, due to the very poor state of preservation of the bone it was not possible to obtain a date. A report on the animal bone from the ditch fill is been prepared by Dr. Emily Murray and will be submitted to QUB for dating.

Charcoal analysis undertaken by Dr. Ellen O’Carroll of pits (F.1 and F.2)  recorded a high variety of taxa from F1 suggesting that the charcoal from this pit may have derived from domestic fires for cooking. Pit F2 contained only hazel charcoal and as such may have been associated with a specific activity that required a good steady hot charcoal such as hazel. The identified species indicate that the area may have been relatively open, which is typical for the Iron Age period in Ireland prior to which many of the woodlands in Ireland had been cleared. The charcoal sample from pit (F.1) returned a date of  BP 2479+/- 26 (UBA-56972), which calibrates to 482–770 cal BC (95.4% (2 sigma) and median probability of cal BC 637.

The archaeological monitoring of the excavations associated with the solar farm development was carried out from June to September 2024. The works were supplemented by a metal detection survey under licence (24R0442).   The stratigraphy encountered during the course of the monitoring comprised of sod and topsoil, overlying subsoil and the natural bedrock. No features of archaeological significance were revealed during the excavations. An Edward I coin was recorded in the spoil material excavated from the drilling and was conserved by Susannah Kelly.