County: Wicklow Site name: RATHDOWN UPPER/TEMPLECARRIG LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0616
Author: Edmond O’Donovan, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 728423m, N 713830m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.159466, -6.079627
A test excavation was carried out on a development site in Rathdown Upper and Templecarrig Lower, Co. Wicklow. The site was located to the north of the Rathdown archaeological complex, which includes the Early Christian church site at St Crispin’s Cell and Rathdown Castle. A number of previous excavations have uncovered a wide range of archaeological sites within the Rathdown complex; these date from the prehistoric through to the medieval period. In 1993 Charles Mount carried out test excavation at the site (Excavations 1993, No. 231, 93E0187). Subsequent excavations in 1994 by Eoin Halpin led to the identification of a ringfort at the site (Excavations 1994, No. 232, 94E0033). Margaret Gowen conducted test excavation on the site of Rathdown Castle (Excavations 1994, No. 233, 94E0048), and Richard O’Brien and James Eogan excavated a range of sites and features from Beaker settlement remains to cultivation ridges (Excavations 1997, No. 612, 97E0075).
No substantial archaeological structures or monuments were uncovered by the test excavation, although a probable prehistoric pit was identified in Trench 6. The feature appeared to be isolated, although it is possible that other ephemeral archaeological features are located in its vicinity. The presence of a single burnt flint flake in Trench 8 supported the contention that other prehistoric features may be present around the remainder of the site. This evidence, coupled with the results of other excavations, particularly the prehistoric findings by Richard O’Brien and James Eogan (op. cit.), emphasise the archaeological potential of the site.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
