2001:972 - JOHNSTOWN, Meath

Monitoring conducted by Damian Finn during May and June 2001 revealed a site along the route of a surface water drainage pipeline for a residential development at Johnstown House, Enfield. The site was located west of the entrance road to Johnstown House and east of the Enfield to Edenderry road, approximately 75m above sea-level. A small stream ran past the site to the north and the archaeology appeared to be fulacht fiadh-related. It lay within an area of 5m by 3m and was excavated on 14–15 June.

Feature 1 was a rectangular trough, orientated east–west, roughly 1.7m by 1m and 0.2m deep. The primary fill was a dark grey to black, charcoal-rich soil with moderate inclusions of burnt stone. This was deeper along the southern side of the trough, with a maximum depth of 0.12m. Overlying this was a dark grey clayey silt with occasional inclusions of burnt stone and moderate flecks of charcoal. A groove or edge, 1.5m by 0.85m, formed the break of slope at the base, and the sides on the long axes were splayed outwards towards the top of the cut. At the base of the cut in each corner were vertical pointed stake-holes, averaging 0.12m in diameter and varying from 0.07m to 0.16m in depth. These were accompanied by further stake-holes and indentations in the corners of the trough, some of which were angled or horizontal. All of the stake-holes were filled with a dark grey silty clay with frequent charcoal inclusions, suggesting that they had been burnt in situ. It appears that the rectangular cut originally had the dimensions of the groove revealed at its base. It was lined by an organic material which was held in place by a supporting, frame-like structure. There was little evidence for the fabric of the lining but it appears to have been retentive and elastic, stretching when the trough was filled with water. It may have been made of leather and probably functioned to make the trough watertight and/or to keep the water clean. The absence of a burnt spread suggests that the trough was the only remains of a fulacht fiadh which had only one episode of use, represented by the primary fill. After this it appears to have silted up naturally.

Feature 2, 0.4m east of Feature 1, was a roughly circular pit with straight sides and a slightly concave base. Measuring 0.42m by 0.48m, it was 0.1m deep and filled with a dark grey, clayey silt with inclusions of orange clay, burnt stone and charcoal.

Feature 3 (0.6m by 0.8m) was roughly oval and was located 0.7m north of Feature 2. It had a concave base at a depth of 0.15m and was filled by dark grey, clayey silt with inclusions of yellow clay, burnt stone and charcoal. The pits may have been used to heat a sweathouse or sweathouses. There was no evidence of a hearth or any small features on the site, suggesting that the area may have been subject to intensive ploughing in the past.

Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3