2002:0483 - CARRICKMINES GREAT (Sites 59–62), Dublin

The site was found by Gary Conboy during monitoring of topsoil-stripping before the construction of the South-Eastern Motorway. Four discrete archaeological areas were identified and designated Sites 59–62. Around these four concentrations, topsoil was mechanically stripped under supervision, revealing a total archaeological area of 120m by 20m. The site was divided into two halves, Areas A and B, reflecting the foci of archaeological activity.

Carrickmines Great lies on the edge of a filled lake basin at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, where a broad plain slopes gently toward Dublin Bay. Excavations by Matthew Seaver (Site 78, No. 619, Excavations 2002), Fiona Reilly (Site 56, No. 480, Excavations 2002, and Site 79, No. 489, Excavations 2002) and Gary Conboy (Sites 63 and 75, Nos 484 and 488, Excavations 2002) of a series of Bronze Age sites within 500m of this excavation attest to a quite substantial human presence in the area in later prehistory.

Area A, at the north of the site, contained a circular hut site (3.5m in diameter) of probable Middle–Late Bronze Age date, beside a large ‘cooking pit’ (2.7m by 2.5m by 0.5m deep) and a line of five post-pits, 8m long. Small quantities of lithic debitage were the only artefacts recovered from the area.

Situated 10m south of the hut site was a hearth adjacent to pits and post-holes. This could be described as an ‘industrial’ area, although further analysis is required to confirm this. Again, lithic debitage was the only find.

At the northern limit of excavation the slot-trench of part of a possible structure was identified adjacent to two pits. The area had suffered considerable tree-root disturbance, and all that survived was a c. 2m arc of a slot-trench. No finds were directly associated with the possible structure.

Between Areas A and B an isolated circular pit (0.8m in diameter and 0.25m deep) was excavated. A cache of a disc-bead necklace and about half of an Early Neolithic carinated bowl of Western Neolithic tradition (3600–3400 BC) were recovered from this pit. The beads, of which there were nine, were flat, circular, perforated stones (which have not been geologically identified at the time of writing) of Sheridan’s Type D (Sheridan 1985, 159, fig. 4.9). Irish examples are relatively rare, similar ones having been found at Knockadoon, Donegore, Altanagh and Lyles Hill.

At the south end of the site, Area B contained evidence of three structures: a bowl furnace, external hearths and a series of pits and post-pits. The southernmost structure was formed by an arc of post-pits surrounding a clay-knapping floor. A large quantity of lithics was recovered from the floor, including round scrapers of Early Bronze Age type.

Adjacent to the knapping area were the badly plough-damaged remains of the slot-trenches and post-pits for a small rectangular building (3m by 2.5m). No diagnostic finds were associated with the building.

The post-pits of a single-ring round house (3.3m in diameter) were also badly plough truncated. An entrance porch was discernible at the south of the building, and an interior pit may also be associated. Lithic debitage was recovered from the post-pit infills.

At the northern end a line of post-pits and pits was recorded. Although not forming an obvious building, their layout had a definite symmetry, suggesting a structural function. Adjacent to the area was a small bowl furnace containing slag.

At the time of writing, post-excavation work is at a preliminary stage. Early results suggest that at least five structures were present. Only one of these can be dated with any degree of certainty: the knapping floor in Area B, which is likely to be of Early Bronze Age date. Based on morphology, the remaining structures are probably also of Bronze Age date, although a Neolithic date for the rectangular building in Area B cannot be ruled out.

Reference
Sheridan, J.A. 1985 The role of exchange studies in ‘social archaeology’, with special reference to the prehistory of Ireland from the fourth to the early second millennium BC. Unpublished PhD thesis, Cambridge University.

258 The Sycamores, Kilkenny