County: Dublin Site name: BALYCULLEN (Site 1), Oldcourt
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1373
Author: Ellinor Larsson, Arch-Tech Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 710523m, N 725366m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.267109, -6.343169
The excavation of a structure was carried out from 2 to 12 September 2002 in Ballycullen, Oldcourt, before the construction of a residential development. The site was identified during monitoring (see No. 639, Excavations 2002, 02E0190 ext.) and was preliminarily identified as a structure of possible early historic date. The site was on the north-facing foothills of the Dublin Mountains, to the west of the Ballycullen Road, on the 100m contour. The site extended over an area measuring 20m east–west by 11m.
A semicircular, broken ditch/trench, measuring 10.2m east–west by 4.5m, on average 0.5m wide and 0.4m deep, was the most substantial feature of the site. The ditch curved to the south, with no trace of a continuation of the circle to the north, and had a gap to the south, in which a large post-hole was situated. The external terminals of the ditch were wider than the average width of the trench. The semicircular trench appeared to be a slot-trench capable of supporting posts or planks. The fills contained a moderate amount of charcoal and burnt and unburnt bone fragments. Seventeen post-holes were identified in the interior of the site, which were grouped according to their spatial pattern. Nine formed a pattern respecting the outline of the slot-trench and were evenly spaced, interpreted as possible structural posts. Four of these were situated in a line oriented north-north-west/south-south-east. Eight of the internal post-holes were associated with a possible hearth, to the west of the eastern terminal of the trench. Only one small post-hole was found external to the curving trench, in the south of the site, c. 0.15m from the outer line of the slot. To the east of the eastern terminal of the arc-shaped trench was a metalled surface, with six post- and stake-holes, and a thin, linear feature that possibly constitutes an entrance for the semicircular area.
Two pieces of corroded iron were recovered from the eastern terminal of the ditch, and waste flakes of flint were found mainly in association with the metalled surface.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
