Burnt spreads found in forestry area
As part of the Archaeological contract for the Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project in Co Roscommon, AMS were required to test 78ha of felled forestry.
After the trees were felled and removed, the stumps were extracted by a specialist stump harvester. This is the first time that this technique has been used on a TII archaeology project and AMS contracted a forestry expert for the job.
Wide tracked machines were used and local drivers employed, people who knew the particular ground conditions. Trenches were then excavated within the area from which the stumps have been taken and all signs of archaeology were investigated by hand.
This innovative stump harvesting technique has resulted in the identification of three new sites of burnt spreads in previously forested areas.