County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Essex Street West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Alan Hayden
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 715267m, N 734107m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344620, -6.268913
Eight trial bores were examined and five test pits were excavated as part of preliminary site investigations on behalf of a potential developer, in October and November, 1990.
The site of the proposed development was bounded on the north by Essex Street West, on the east by Exchange Street, on the south by Copper Alley and on the west by Fishamble Street.
Most of the bores and all of test pits were located close to the streets that delimited the site.
The bores and pits indicated that well preserved archaeological strata survived on all parts of the site. Archaeological deposits were first noted at between 1.1 m and 3.4m below modern ground level and varied from 1.2m to 2.55m in depth. They consisted, generally, of well preserved organic material. Excavation of the test pits was halted when structures were first noted.
In all of the test pits and in some of the bores evidence of the presence of post and wattle or wooden buildings, was noted. These were left intact and covered with organic material for protection, before the pits were backfilled.
A number of sherds of Irish, English and French medieval pottery, antler offcuts and a single copper alloy stick pin were recovered from the pits and bores.
14 Waterloo Road, Dublin 4
