1999:610 - MULLAGHARLIN/HAGGARDSTOWN, Dundalk, Louth

Pre-development testing was carried out in October 1998, by Dermot Moore and then Audrey Gahan, of c. 100 acres on the site of the proposed Xerox Technology Park, just south of Dundalk. A total of 28 trenches were examined, two of which yielded archaeology in the form of spreads of fulacht fiadh material (Excavations 1998, 152).

In January 1999 full-scale topsoil-stripping commenced, monitored by a team of archaeologists. In addition to the areas of archaeology found previously, eight other areas were found and completely excavated, under the previous licence.

Area 1: truncated fulacht fiadh
This area was found in the October 1998 testing of the site and consisted of two spreads of fulacht fiadh material that were extensively ploughed out. The larger of the two spreads measured 4.25m north-south by 2.5m. It survived to a maximum depth of 0.4m and was made up of a deposit of friable, silty, charcoal-rich soil with frequent inclusions of burnt stone. The second spread measured 2m by 1.25m and was made up of the same deposit as the larger spread. Four subsoil-cut pits were found close to the fulacht fiadh spreads. The largest of these was probably cut as a trough. It measured 3m by 1.35m and was a maximum of 0.4m deep. It was filled initially by fulacht fiadh debris and then by silt. The other pits were not suitably diagnostic to suggest a function.

Area 2: pit
This area was found in the October 1998 testing of the site and consisted of an oval, subsoil-cut pit measuring 1.4m by 0.9m and 0.16m deep. It was filled with a black, charcoal-rich, friable, silty clay. The feature was revealed in a waterlogged hollow, with no other traces of archaeology surviving in the immediate vicinity.

Area 3: Bronze Age hearth
This area was discovered in January 1999 and comprised a hearth and stake-hole complex with associated pits. All the features underlay topsoil and cut the subsoil. The hearth measured 1m north- south by 0.7m and had a maximum depth of 0.19m. The basal fills contained burnt material that was overlain by a layer of flat stones; this in turn was overlain by an extremely charcoal-rich layer. The hearth was surrounded on all sides by nineteen stake-holes. A sizeable pit had been cut to the west of the hearth. This measured 1.04m east-west by 1.36m and had a maximum depth of 0.15m. This truncated feature contained several sherds of Bronze Age pottery.

To the north of the hearth several more features survived. Two of these were pits, one of which also contained Bronze Age pottery, and the third was a linear gully that was traced for a length of 20m north-south. This gully measured c. 0.4m east-west, was 0.5m deep and cut one of the above pits.

Area 4: fulacht fiadh
This area was found in January 1999 and comprised several spreads of fulacht fiadh material and associated pits. The pits appeared to have been cut in a random fashion around a natural hollow that was fed by a spring. There were thirteen subsoil-cut pits, most of which were quite substantial. One of these conformed to classic trough morphology; it was subrectangular, measuring 2.37m north-west/south-east by 1.2m and 0.35m deep. A stake-hole had been cut into each of the corners. There were no finds from these features.

All the features cut the subsoil, and the majority were overlain by black, clayey silt that contained frequent inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal. This had a maximum depth of 0.2m. Three of the pits had also been cut by a linear gully that was traced for c. 20m and was orientated in a north-west/south-east direction. It was 0.8–1m wide and 0.3m deep. No artefacts were retrieved to suggest a date for its use.

Several of the other pits had also been cut by post-medieval field drains that criss-crossed the whole area, including the vicinity of Area 3 above.

Area 5: corn-drying kiln
This area was discovered in January 1999. It was a corn-drying kiln that had been abandoned in antiquity, with a substantial amount of debris accumulated within it. The kiln had been cut into a north-facing slope and was orientated north-north-west/south-south-east. It was subrectangular and 4m long. At its widest it was 1.6m, and at its deepest 0.5m. The cut had three distinct parts. At the northerly end was a narrow, sloping cut that probably acted as a flue. This gave way to a fire-pit in the centre. The kiln was completed by a flat-bottomed chamber at the southern end, and the structure consisted of drystone walling on all sides. It did not survive above ground level. Several stake- and post-holes were found to the north-west of the flue. The kiln had been cut through a small, backfilled ditch that was 1.1m wide and was traced for a length of 8.5m. It was orientated north-west/south-east.

A subrectangular cut measuring 8m north-north-west by 1.1m south-south-east and 0.25m deep was found 2.5m to the south of the kiln structure. The function of this feature was not immediately obvious, but it may have been a cut for a kiln that had been abandoned. At its southern end this feature cut a previous ditch that had much the same dimensions as the ditch upslope, except that it was badly truncated. No finds were recovered from any of the features.

Area 6: ditch
Area 6, discovered in January 1999, was 25m to the south-east of Area 5. It contained a ditch that measured 12m and was orientated north-north-west/south-south-east. The northern end terminated in natural bedrock, and the southern extent was unknown owing to severe truncation. The maximum width of the ditch was 2.3m, and it was 0.4m deep. The base of the ditch had been cut towards the southern end by a pit. This measured 1.65m north-south by 1.35m and was 0.3m deep. The pit was filled by copious quantities of slag. A hearth was found 2.5m south-west of the northern terminus of the ditch and was made up of a layer of flat stones with charcoal-rich soil.

Area 7: ditch and fulacht fiadh spread
Area 7, found in January 1999, was a linear ditch measuring 24m as found. It was severely truncated and, as it survived, was 2.5m wide and 0.5m deep. It was orientated north-east/south-west. Several spreads of charcoal-rich, silty clay with burnt stone, typical of fulacht fiadh debris, were found to the north-east of the ditch. These spreads were no more than 0.2m deep. No artefacts were recovered.

Area 8: Bronze Age structure
Area 8, discovered in January 1999, measured c. 38m north-south by 35m. It contained the remains of one, or possibly two, Bronze Age structures. Structure 1 was a circular feature measuring c. 8m north-south by 9m. It was made up of two rings of post-holes, many of which were stone-packed. There may have been an entrance at the north-east, as evidenced by a large gap in the inner ring of post-holes. However, the structure had been truncated on its northern side, so it is difficult to say for certain whether an entrance existed here. Inside the area enclosed by the post-holes several non-structural pits existed.

Structure 2 was to the south-west of Structure 1. The area enclosed by this ring of post-holes measured 7m east-west by 6m. Whilst outer structural post-holes could be discerned, the interpretation of this area is more problematic than that of Structure 1, as the area also contained a dense concentration of pits and stake-holes that, in the absence of stratigraphy, makes interpretation difficult.

A small, linear ditch lay immediately to the west of Structure 2. This was traced for a length of 10m running north-south and was on average 1m wide and 0.5m deep. This ditch was not found anywhere else around the area, so is probably not related; rather, its similarity to the other small ditches found over the whole development may place it within an as yet undated field system. No artefacts were recovered from the fill.

The two structures appear not to have been enclosed, although several other scatters of post-holes were in evidence within the excavated areas. One of these created an arc and was made up of five deep post-holes. Other pit and post-hole scatters the function of which is unclear lay apparently randomly throughout the area. Several post-holes, both within the structures and outside them, contained large sherds of coarse Bronze Age pottery (exact type as yet unidentified). Other finds included small pieces of quartz and lumps of granite.

Area 9: ditch
This area was found in January 1999 and contained the remains of an extremely truncated ditch. This was linear, orientated north-east/south-west, and was traced for a length of 20m. Its maximum surviving depth was 0.2m, and it was on average 1m wide. Several pits were found along the line of this ditch, one cut it and two were cut by it. No artefacts were recovered.

Area 10: souterrain, associated features and ditch
Area 10 was discovered in January 1999. Excavation began in April 1999 after negotiations with Dúchas. The souterrain lay c. 40m south of a horseshoe-shaped enclosure noted in the SMR (7.95). The souterrain was damaged by machine action. It was constructed of roughly coursed drystone walling. As it survived it consisted of an entrance passage that ran east-west for 3m and contained a slot with two post-holes, probably to hold a door; several other post-holes were excavated at the point where the entrance passage turned north-south. It continued in this direction for 7m and was 1m wide until near the terminus, where it widened slightly into an end chamber. The roof survived here and showed the passage to have been c. 1m high. Another passage was offset from the first at right angles 5m along the east wall of the north-south passage. This passage was raised from the level of the north-south passage by 0.3m. It initially ran east-west but curved gently toward the north. It was c. 5m long and ended in an intact chamber that had finely corbelled upper coursing and roof and measured 2.5m north-south by 1.5m east-west at its widest. At its greatest height it measured 1.5m. The roofing along the rest of the souterrain was a mixture of lintels and corbelling. Finds included an amber bead, a probable loom weight, half a lignite(?) bracelet and a quantity of animal bone. Several metal objects were also recovered, one with traces of enamel.

The north-south passage had been cut through the base of an earlier linear ditch. This ditch ran in a north-north-west/south-south-east direction toward the horseshoe-shaped enclosure and measured 47m as found. A test-trench was opened within the protected area of the monument and showed that the ditch continued toward the terminal of enclosure. It did not run beyond the enclosure. The ditch had an upper width of c. 3m; on the west it was steep-sided. On the east a small cut through subsoil (c. 0.2m) led to a shelf c. 1m wide. This then dropped sharply, and the base of the ditch measured 0.4–0.6m. The ditch showed very little evidence of silting and instead was mostly backfilled by brown, silty clay that probably came from a bank, although no archaeological evidence of this survived. No artefacts were recovered from the fill.

Approximately 3m north of the souterrain a large, irregular-shaped feature, consisting of a central linear section with two crescent-shaped arcs projecting at either end, had been cut into the subsoil. The north-eastern arc measured c. 8m and was fairly shallow (c. 0.1–0.2m). On average it was 1m wide. At the southern terminal a shallow grave contained the partial remains of an articulated skeleton. This arc turned west and ran as the central linear section for c. 18m. The width of the feature here varied a great deal (0.75–3.5m), and the depth was c. 0.5m. The second arc turned south and ran for a length of 7m. The fill was dark brown/black, charcoal-rich, silty clay, which contained several sherds of souterrain ware. The linear band of the feature was revetted on its southern side by a line of rough boulders. This was to keep out the upcast formed by the digging of the cut, which had been placed immediately to the south of the feature. Several pits of indeterminate nature were cut through the upcast. From the line of the revetment a large pocket of seeds was recovered. This irregular feature also cut the backfilled ditch.

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