Caherconnell Stone Fort
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Caherconnell Stone Fort |
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The Archaeological Dig at Caherconnell Stone Fort from 25th of August 2007.
MethodologyThe archaeological
excavation will take the form of a single hand-dug trench targeted at
the vestigial remains of a rectangular structure in the northern quadrant
of the cashel. The trench will be orientated from north to
south and will be placed perpendicular to the northern long wall of
the structure. The trench will abut the cashel wall. It is hoped that
the excavation will provide evidence for the date and function of the
stone walled structure and it is assumed that the structure post-dates
the construction of the cashel. The location of the trench will maximise
the potential for obtaining a stratified archaeological sequence that
will address continuity of use within the monument. The stone walled
structure that is targeted by the excavation trench, is rectangular
and measures approximately 7.5m by 5m. The structure is defined by a
single course of roughly hewn limestone blocks. The walls themselves
are in the order of 0.4m to 0.5m thick. There is a quantity of tumble
from the inner wall of the cashel that overlies the stone walled structure.
It is assumed that this debris has effectively sealed earlier deposits. The trench
will be 1m wide and 5m long. It is estimated, based on relative ground
levels inside and outside the cashel, that there may be as much as 1m
depth of archaeological deposits. If this depth is exceeded, then it
is possible that the trench may be widened to 2m if required by depth
of stratigraphy. Prior to excavation,
a detailed topographic survey of the rectangular structure and its immediate
surrounds will be made. Topsoil will
be removed by hand and will be dry sieved on site for artefacts. Archaeological
features and deposits within the trench will be 100% excavated to the
surface of the underlying bedrock. All archaeological
contexts will be sampled for ecofacts (charred plant remains). These
samples will be wet sieved and floated. All archaeological
contexts will be 100% sieved (wet or dry) for small artefacts and ecofacts
(principally small bone fragments). Archaeological
standards All archaeological
works, including reports, will be planned, managed and carried out in
accordance with the requirements and standards as identified in: the
National Monuments Acts (1930-2004), The Policy and Guidelines on Archaeological
Excavation, (DAHGI 1999a), Framework and Principles for the Protection
of the Archaeological Heritage (DAHGI 1999b). Excavation will be carried
out to archaeological best practice . Archaeological
features and deposits within the excavation trench only will
be scanned and the location of any ‘hits’ noted. The feature or
deposit will then be excavated following archaeological best practice
and metal objects will be recovered from stratified contexts and recorded
in 3D. Topsoil and
spoil from individual archaeological horizons will be additionally scanned. Artefact strategyAll stratified and unstratified artefacts will be retained. These will be numbered and recorded in accordance with current National Museum of Ireland guidelines. The finds will be treated, stored and conserved in accordance with Advice Notes for Excavators (NMI 1997). This project is supported by leader.   | ||||
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