1997:200 - GALWAY: 3 Cross Street, Galway

This narrow, elongated site within the city of Galway, excavated between January and April 1997, yielded evidence for domestic floors comprising a series of redeposited boulder clays associated exclusively with Saintonge ware. These clays contrasted sharply with a series of contemporaneous heavy dark silty clays forming the bulk of the deposits in the backyard. The two sets of deposits were demarcated by a modern limestone wall which cut into the clays and rested upon bedrock. It would appear, therefore, that the modern wall cut into the trench of a previous structure and obliterated whatever remains existed of an earlier medieval structure. In any case, the redeposited boulder clays yielded hearths, postholes, ash and charcoal lenses. The silty clays outside yielded contemporaneous pottery and numerous fragments of butchered animal bone. There was considerable disturbance in the upper deposits, accounting, no doubt, for the almost complete absence of post-medieval clays. A limited extent of dry walling was recovered in the extreme south-west corner, however, and this may have post-medieval origins.

27 South William Street, Dublin 2.