County: Dublin Site name: COLDWINTERS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0548 ext.
Author: Hilary Opie
Site type: Enclosure, Burial ground and Ring-ditch
Period/Dating: Iron Age (800 BC-AD 339)
ITM: E 719203m, N 751847m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.503097, -6.203121
Excavation was undertaken here between 10 September 2001 and 20 February 2002 following pre-development test-trenching on this site by Patricia Lynch, carried out in December 1999 (Excavations 2000, No. 228). The site is designated as Site 4 on the Airport–Balbriggan Northern Route Bypass Scheme.
Substantial remains of a large circular enclosure were uncovered on the eastern side of the road-take. Approximately two thirds of this was excavated, the other third being off the road-take and unaffected by the development. The main feature was a large enclosing ditch, measuring c. 30m in diameter. It was 2.5–4m wide and 1–1.5m deep. It contained finds of animal bone, poor-quality flint and iron slag, some of which came from the very base of the ditch. Enclosed within the main ditch were three smaller circular ditches, following roughly the same line. These varied between 0.5m and 1.2m in width, and were 0.3–1m deep. One of these inner ditches contained five hammer-stones within its fill.
Enclosed within all these ditches were six human burials. All were aligned east–west with their heads to the west. Each was contained within an individual grave-cut. Bone preservation was poor, but one of the grave-cuts may have contained two burials. All were extended, supine inhumations with no grave-goods.
Another large, subrectangular ditch was running from the edge of the large enclosing ditch. This was c. 45m in diameter, 1.3m wide and 1–1.2m deep. Cut into it at a later date was a small circular ring-ditch, c. 10m in diameter, 0.8m wide and 0.3–0.8m deep. This had two openings, to the south-east and the north-west. Contained within the interior of this feature was a single human burial, consisting of an extended, supine inhumation within a slab-lined grave. Both the base and the sides were slab-lined with a few covering lintels. It was aligned south-east/north-west. There were no grave-goods present.
Finds from the site consisted mainly of large amounts of rough, poor-quality flint, with few tools present. Two Mesolithic flakes, including a Bann flake, a small stone bead, a stone ring, five hammer-stones, and part of a medieval quernstone were also recovered. No pottery, either prehistoric or medieval, was noted. Iron slag from the base of the large enclosing ditch may suggest an Iron Age date for the main phase of activity. It is hoped that radiocarbon dating, especially of the human bone, may provide more conclusive dates.
103 Cherrywood Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
