1999:231 - TRINITY COLLEGE (LIBRARY EXTENSION SITE), Dublin, Dublin

Initial site works before the building of an extension to the Berkeley Library revealed a pit filled with animal and human bone remains. Subsequent archaeological excavation revealed post-medieval boundary walls, the foundations of a blackstone square building and the remains of a well with an associated blackstone/slate drain feature. Pit F6 was almost in the centre of the site. This pit was densely filled with human and animal bones (including camel). The human bones displayed evidence for anatomical dissection, with the high proportion of femurs and skulls from the pit showing both lateral and longitudinal anatomical cut/ sawmarks.

Further excavation/monitoring revealed two 18th-century boundary walls, with more anatomical remains placed in a series of piles in shallow trenches against the base of the walls, generally in groups of two or three individuals. The remains consisted of both adults and children. Two more shallow pits were revealed, one against each boundary wall, F7 and F32. These pits were shallower than F6 and less densely packed with human remains. It is estimated that the remains of over 250 individuals were excavated out of the pits and from along the boundary walls.

The F7 boundary wall extended north-south and was built of regular blackstone blocks. Its state of preservation was good at the northern end, with substantial demolition and collapse towards the southern end. It was only along its western side that human bones were recovered. This wall, shown on an 1864 map of Trinity, appears to be the boundary wall dividing what was known then as the Fellows' Garden from the area known as College Park.

The F32 boundary wall remains extended north-south from the Nassau Street boundary wall to the south-east corner of the Arts Block building. It was in a poor state of preservation and was built of a combination of blackstone and red brick. The human remains were recovered against the eastern face of the wall. However, the lower blackstone base courses of this wall are likely to be contemporary with the F7 wall, with the red brick addition built on at a later date. The two walls demarcated a strip of land dividing Fellows' Garden from College Park, which was known as the 'Physick Garden'.

The foundation remains of an almost square structure, F19, emerged west of the F7 wall. It appeared to be built of regular blackstone on the natural gravel, and the remains of a red brick floor were evident at its southern end. There appear to be two phases to this building, but its function is still unclear. It has been suggested that it was a 'well house', as the partial remains of an 18th-century well lay immediately south of the structure. However, recent research suggests that it may have been built as a detached extension to the Anatomy House, which existed at a location north of the structure until its demolition in 1820. Reference to repairs to a 'Bath-house' in the vicinity of the Anatomy House in 1815 suggests a strong possibility that this F19 feature is the remains of this building.

The blackstone/slate drain was built in the 18th century after the construction of the well. It extended south from the well at a slight curve towards the Nassau Street boundary wall.

The finds associated with the excavation/ monitoring are all 18th-19th-century in date. They consisted mainly of ceramic and glass, bottles, post-medieval pottery sherds, copper wiring and a small metal canula used in dissection.

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