2000:0300 - GLEBE, Dublin

Thirteen known sites were scheduled to be excavated within the Laughanstown/Glebe complex as a result of a comprehensive archaeological assessment process associated with the South-Eastern Motorway. The excavations are focused on an area close to the known wedge tomb and cairn sites. To date, excavation has proceeded on four sites: Site 35D (large embanked enclosure); Site 36E (topographical anomaly); Site 23 (area between Site 36E and the wedge tomb; see Excavations 2000, No. 320); and the present site. In addition, following a request by Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, an area around the site was stripped using machine-assisted archaeological mitigation.

Site 43
This site is located in the east of the complex on relatively flat ground just before the topography dips into a former narrow river valley. An area of 900m2 was de-sodded, and ploughsoil 0.2–0.3m in depth was removed across the site. This includes the main area under excavation and a number of test-trenches. Ploughsoil contained flint debitage, a finely retouched barbed arrowhead, two glass beads, a bone button and a smaller number of flint scrapers. This was in association with a considerable quantity of modern material and smaller amounts of medieval artefacts. Cultivation ridges were located running north–south immediately under the sod. These proved to be of very recent date.

Ploughsoil overlay a layer of grey-brown, silty clay that contained frequent decayed stones. A large number of plough furrows were located running east–west across the site. These contained 18th- and 19th-century artefacts along with large quantities of cinder and coal. In the north of the site two parallel shallow trenches 3m long, 0.7m wide and 0.15m deep were opened, orientated north-east/south-west. These contained an orange fill with sparse burnt bone flecks and flint flakes. A stone setting was uncovered close to the eastern limit of the site. It was 0.4m wide and was clay-bonded. On excavation, this proved to be a large post-hole with a stone-packed support. The post-pipe itself was 0.6m deep x 0.2m wide. This implies a very large post. It appears that the grey-brown clay built up around this setting. This grey-brown soil layer overlies the grey, sterile, natural glacial soils. Abutting the post-hole was an area of heavy scorching with the remnants of charred branches laid on end. Small fragments of burnt bone were located within this. Stratigraphy suggests that the burning took place first and then a post was placed to mark this spot.

A number of ditches were located at this level. One was located on the western limit of the site. This U-shaped ditch was 0.83m wide x 0.5m deep and ran north–south, curving slightly. It had a rounded terminal defined by a number of large granite blocks in the upper fill. The ditch has been sectioned at a number of intervals and contained an orange-brown silt along with redeposited natural, suggesting a slumped bank. The fill contained sparse charcoal flecks and a number of waste flint flakes. Sparse tiny fragments of burnt bone were also located. This ditch continues curving westwards beyond the road-take, and geophysical survey suggests that it does not return to form a circular enclosure within this field. This was confirmed by a test-trench orientated east–west, which ran to the field boundary.

A further ditch was located at the eastern limit of the site. It was running from the southern limit of the road north-westwards and was quite linear. It was U-shaped and measured 0.8m in width x 0.37m in depth. It was filled with orange silt and redeposited natural. This contained charcoal flecks and a flint scraper, along with flint debitage. At its northern end it connects with a third ditch, which curves from north-east to south-west. It was 1.8–2.2m wide and averaged 1m in depth. This large V-shaped ditch contained a layer of orange silt at its base, which contained a cow’s skull, sheep jaw and numerous other animal bones, along with snail shell and wood fragments. There are as yet no other diagnostic artefacts from the ditch fills. A probable blank for a barbed arrowhead and a flint scraper were located in this layer. A substantial quantity of stone and redeposited natural above this layer suggests a large collapsed bank on the northern side of the ditch. In turn, a further layer of silting overlay this. At the eastern end of this ditch a substantial quantity of large granite blocks were uncovered within the ditch fill.

The point of intersection of the above two ditches is defined by a rounded terminal, and there is clear evidence that both ditches were recut on a shallower basis once the original ditches had filled up.

A number of large features filled with orange, silty clay were excavated in the areas bounded by the ditches. The fills contained sparse charcoal flecks, and the orange clay undercut the natural in places. These almost certainly represent tree bases that were removed when the fields were formed.

Interpretation of the geophysical survey results suggests that a considerable number of these ditches, forming irregular subcircular and rectangular enclosures, are present on the hillside, forming a field system of as yet unknown date. They certainly pre-date the 19th century, and the lack of artefacts and the morphology of the system, along with their stratigraphical position, may suggest an early date. The large ditch arcs to join the curving field boundary to form part of what may be a large circular enclosure c. 56m in diameter. This curve is shown on the 1656 Down Survey map of the townland boundary between Glebe and Laughanstown. This suggests an early date for the enclosure. The remaining ditches appear to radiate out from this enclosure. This site is not resolved, and ongoing work will be required to enable the remainder of the field system to be plotted and to determine the nature of the large enclosure.

Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny