2026:101 - 29 Bow Lane, Dublin 8, Dublin

Archaeological monitoring at 29 Bow Lane West, Dublin 8 was carried out from 10 March 2026 to 19 March 2026. Monitoring comprised the observation of all groundworks associated with the excavation for the construction of the residential development.

Prior to archaeological monitoring, the house and associated structures on the site were demolished. Groundworks were carried out using a tracked mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless grading bucket. All machining was undertaken under direct archaeological supervision. The exposed surfaces and sections were examined for archaeological features and deposits. A photographic record of the monitoring was
maintained throughout, and all photographs were taken using a digital camera.
Monitoring revealed a stratigraphic sequence consistent with the cartographic evidence, which indicated that the site remained largely undeveloped as open ground
from at least the early 18th century until the construction of the existing house in the 19th century.

The stratigraphic sequence exposed in the rear yard area of the development site
comprised the following deposits (from surface to base):
• Modern surface (20th/21st century): 0.04m of tarmacadam surfacing, representing
the most recent yard surface.

• 19th-century levelling: 0.08m of small, rounded cobbles and brick fragments, forming a levelling or foundation layer for the yard surface. This layer is consistent with thelate 19th-century development of the property as indicated on the 1911 OS map.

• Imported make-up layer (18th/19th century): A deposit of pale brownish-grey clay
extending to a depth of between 0.5m and 1.75m (varying from east to west across
the site). This material represents imported make-up used to level and raise the
ground surface, consistent with the development of the rear yard. The variation in
depth reflects the original topography sloping down towards the north.

• 18th-century deposit: Beneath the imported clay, a layer of black clay containing
18th-century domestic waste was identified. This deposit represents general refuse
disposal or middenning associated with the area prior to the formal development of
the plot. No structured features such as pits, ditches, or building remains were
identified within this layer at the level exposed.

The 18th-century waste material identified within the dark-grey clay layer at the base of the excavation represents general refuse disposal in what was then open ground at the periphery of the developing urban area. The material observed was dispersed throughout the exposed portion of the deposit rather than concentrated in discrete features visible at the excavated depth.

The archaeological monitoring at 29 Bow Lane West revealed a stratigraphic sequence
dominated by imported make-up deposits of 18th/19th-century date, overlying a layer
containing 18th-century domestic waste. The results are consistent with the cartographic evidence, which demonstrates that the development site remained as undeveloped open ground from the mid-18th century (when it first appears on Brooking’s map of 1728) until the construction of the existing house, which is first depicted on the 1844 OS map.

The absence of structural remains or organised features at the levels exposed during
monitoring accords with the historical evidence for the site’s development. However, it is important to note that natural subsoil was not encountered during the groundworks, and the formation level of 1.75m below existing ground surface was insufficient to fully assess the archaeological potential of deeper stratigraphic horizons.