1993:217 - WATERFORD: 19-21 High St., Waterford

The site is located in the "Viking Triangle", or original city of Waterford. It fronts onto High St., one of the three principal late Viking streets. The south boundary wall is the perimeter wall of St. Olaf's Church which was originally a Viking foundation. Three adjacent properties were due to be developed in the spring of 1993, and due archaeological testing was undertaken to assess the potential of the site (see Excavations 1993, No. 216).

It was seen that archaeological deposits did survive in the two western properties at the street frontage levels, whereas in the eastern property, a large post-medieval wine cellar had removed all earlier deposits. In the area at the rear of the site, the medieval deposits had been disturbed to a greater depth.

As the formation level of the concrete slab was only likely to disturb the ground to a depth of roughly 0.65m below the modern level, a strategy was devised whereby this depth was to be excavated by hand in the area of the two western properties. Furthermore, a north-south trench 8m long and 2.6-3m wide was excavated to the natural sod along the eastern side of the central property from the street front. This trench is termed the Research Trench as its function was to provide a sample of the stratigraphy to be left undisturbed below the modern development in the rest of the area of the two western properties along the street front.

The Results:
At the earliest level in the Research Trench part of the central aisle, the north entrance and the fireplace of a Viking house were found. It was probably equivalent to the Type 1 houses found in Wood Quay. Based on the relative dimensions of that house type the overall dimensions of this house were c. 8.6m north-south x 6.4m east-west. There was no preserved timber on site. The central aisle was refloored with clay on two occasions during its period of occupation.

The period which followed saw the use of a series of seven or eight hearths, seemingly randomly spaced around the area of the trench. There was no obvious industrial wastage, however there may have been a connection with the following periods which saw the dumping of large quantities of fish bones over the entire area of the trench.

The later medieval stratigraphy on the site was more disturbed, and there was a high proportion of building materials in these deposits. Some of the rubble came from the demolition of a medieval building which had partially survived within the fabric of the street front building due to be developed. The upstanding remains included a complete doorway and substantial parts of the south wall of the building. The doorway and several other sections have been retained.

One of the aims of the excavation was to try and identify parts of the medieval building other than the south wall which had already been uncovered and surveyed. Parts of the north wall and the east wall were found, and the top of the west wall may also have been uncovered, although due to its location under the upstanding wall of the next door property, it was not extensively investigated. The overall dimensions of the structure, based on these walls was c. 15.5m east-west x 7.6m north-south internally. There was also a fragmentary internal north-south wall which was located c.6.5m from the east end of the building. Documentary research has identified the building as the property of a wine merchant called James Rice who died in 1488 (pers comm S. McCutcheon).

There was no evidence for the floor levels of either this house or later structures on the site. A later stone house was subsequently built in the rear of the property in the later 16th century. The east and west walls of this structure were intact up to a maximum height of 5m above the wall footing. Evidence for three fireplaces was found, one at first floor level and the other two at ground floor level. Also, two garderobe chutes were built into the east wall.

The study of finds from the site is incomplete.

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