1997:161 - DUBLIN: Ship Street Great, Dublin

The third phase of an archaeological test excavation was completed at a development site bounded by Ship Street Great and Stephen Street in March 1997. Monitoring was carried out over a week-long period from 7 to 14 April 1997. The first and second phases were completed in September and November 1996 by Linzi Simpson, and accompanied a planning application for the development (Excavations 1996, 30–1, 96E170). No in situ archaeological soils, features or deposits were located in either of these assessments when eleven mechanically excavated test-trenches were opened.

The most recent assessment involved the inspection of two further trenches, measuring 21m x 2m and 39m x 2m respectively. In Trench 12, 24m east from its western end, an area of dark clay-like material was noted 2.2m below its then present ground level. This deposit was subsequently recorded fully during monitoring of groundworks. The material was identified as a medieval pit and occurred almost centrally within the foundation pad. It measured 1.8m x 1.9m with an average depth of 1m. The stratigraphy of the pit consisted of four identifiable layers. The basal fill was a 0.4m-thick deposit of soft grey clay, overlain by a black organic deposit, 0.2m thick. Two sherds of Saintonge green-glazed ware (one handle and one body sherd) were retrieved from this layer. These two layers were sealed by a redeposited yellow clay which contained butchered pig and cattle bone. Two fragments of wooden planks and a wooden post were also recovered from this deposit. The uppermost fill of the pit consisted of a soft, brown, sod-like deposit containing wood-chips, seed pods, the remains of at least two crushed eggshells, some butchered animal bone and isolated pieces of worked wood, possibly wattle remains.

The construction works in the area of archaeological potential defined by the trenching continued to be monitored but no further archaeological features were revealed.

Rath House, Ferndale Road, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin