1999:184 - DUBLIN: Carman's Hall, Dublin

Phase 2 test-trenching was carried out on 24 May 1999 at a development site at Carman's Hall/Ash Street/Garden Lane, Dublin 8 (see Excavations 1998, 46–7, for Phase 1). The results of the trenching confirmed the presence of a deposit of 'garden soil' of medieval date across the entire site. The medieval soil, which overlay subsoil, was overlain by a post-medieval soil layer and the demolition levels of recent buildings. The conditions imposed in 1998 were stipulated for archaeological monitoring in 1999, with the addition of a requirement to search the medieval and post-medieval garden soils with a metal-detector. This was done under licence 99R0002.

Clearance of the western part of the site was undertaken over two weeks in June–July 1999, during a spell of dry weather. Consequently, ground conditions were good for the retrieval of finds and the observation of features. No features of medieval date occurred over this side of the site. The medieval soil F103 was uniform in appearance and depth across the western part of the site.

Fragments of medieval pottery, mostly very small and abraded, and a single nail were recovered from the soil. No finds were recovered using the metal-detector. This may be due to the nature of the soil, where the iron was very poorly preserved, and also to the form of deposition of the medieval artefacts. Animal bone and shell throughout the soil was also extremely fragmented, occurring as splinters rather than the larger bones that are commonly recovered from medieval cesspits. It seems unlikely that metal artefacts are present in any significant numbers in this soil. A thicker band of darker, post-medieval soil overlay the medieval layer.

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