County: Wicklow Site name: BRAY: Putland Road, Newcourt
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0198
Author: Richard Clutterbuck, Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 727073m, N 717525m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.192981, -6.098330
This site was discovered during monitoring of soil-stripping (No. 1344, Excavations 2001, 01E0084) on 21 February 2001. It consisted of a single oval pit found near to the boundary; no associated features were found. The feature, most probably the base of a truncated pit, was 0.7m long, 0.55m wide and 0.2m deep, and was cut into natural light brown sandy clay subsoil at the 30m OD contour. The pit had curving sides and a concave base, and contained a single fill: dark brown sandy clay with inclusions of stone (20%) and small diffuse flecks of charcoal. It also contained nine very small fragments of burnt crushed bone.
All but one of the seven finds recovered during the excavation came from the surrounding topsoil. The single find from the fill of the pit was a pear-shaped water-rolled sandstone cobble, measuring 0.18m by 0.15m by 0.06m. The upper surface of the stone is pock-marked, with a 10mm-deep central indentation, and appears to have been used as an anvil and a hammer-stone. The six finds from the soil surrounding the feature consisted of four waste flint flakes, a possible chert blade fragment and a flint core made from a water-rolled beach cobble.
An analysis of the bone fragments by Laureen Buckley identified the remains as most probably animal. Charcoal samples were sent for analysis to Ingelise Stuijts of Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd; a range of species were identified, including hazel, oak and elder. The soil was analysed by Eachtra Archaeological Projects and was found to be consistent with the remains of a refuse-pit.
The feature was fully excavated and recorded before construction work reduced the area for building.
Campus Innovation Centre, Roebuck, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4
