Earthwork in Riverdale

The SMR File states that there is an ‘Earthwork shown’ on William Larkin’s map of County Westmeath dating from 1808 (NLI Ms. 46, 580). The SMR file frecords these earthworks as ‘Site of’ which suggests that there were no surface remains visible at the time when the nearby monument WM028-001--- was surveyed in 1980 (SMR File). An archaeological assessment report carried out in 2004 (Elder & O’Carroll 2004, 2) recorded that a ‘development is centred [NGR 262500/250240] on an irregular-shaped raised platform. Much of the central portion has already been quarried to a depth of up to 2m below present ground level, and an access road constructed from an existing field entrance to the northwest’. This assessment report (Elder and O’Carroll 2004, 3) records that according to ‘the landowner the area to the immediate west of the gravel pit had been extensively landscaped in the late 1960s/early 1970s upon receipt of a grant for reclamation of the land. Prior to these works, a series of linear ‘bumps’ were noted, which from their description appear to have been evidence of medieval ‘ridge-and-furrow’ ploughing. An archaeologist was apparently contacted at the time, and maps consulted, but as no earthworks were marked, it was assumed safe to proceed (Farrelly, pers. comm.). On the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map a natural dry hillock is depicted on the floodplains of the River Deel located immediately to the S. On this map the natural island of dry land is accessed via a small laneway which crosses over wet land where a ‘Wooden Br.’ is depicted on this map. No antiquity is depicted on this island on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. According to the Archaeological Assessment Report (Elder and O’Carroll 2004, 4), this island ‘surrounded by marshland to the north, east and west, and the river to the south, would have proven an ideal location for a defendable settlement of the early medieval, or even prehistoric period’. A site visit in 2004 recorded that ‘there has been a significant change in the overall height of the land in the vicinity of the recorded monument. The landowner mentioned improvement works being carried out a few decades previously, but it also appeared as though work had been undertaken in the more recent past, relating to quarrying operations. There were no obvious earthworks to suggest the location of the monument, but that does not exclude the possibility of surviving sub-surface features, deposits and/or artefacts’ (Elder and O’Carroll 2004, 5). Compiled by : Caimin O'Brien Date of upload : 14 August 2012