County: Dublin Site name: ROBSWALLS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0031
Author: John Ó Néill and Peter Kerins, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Prehistoric site - lithic scatter
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 723930m, N 745214m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.442431, -6.134523
A number of features of archaeological interest were identified during the monitoring of ground-disturbance works associated with a housing development at Robswalls, Malahide, Co. Dublin. The site lies to the east of Malahide village, on the south-eastern edge of the Malahide Estuary. The area extends south from the Biscayne housing estate upslope toward the grounds of Portmarnock FC and east toward the grounds of Malahide FC. A tower-house, Robswalls Castle (SMR 12:36), lies to the east of the development.
Previous field-walking had revealed a scatter of flint waste materials across the area of the Phase 1 development. Further material was recovered during systematic monitoring of topsoil removal. Two small discrete deposits of archaeological material were noted; these were subsequently excavated as Robswalls, Sites 1 and 2 (see Nos 659 and 660, Excavations 2002, 02E0385 and 02E0386).
A significant quantity of lithic waste was recovered from the area that was stripped of topsoil, particularly where the ground sloped down toward the sea (a minimum of 80m from the eastern and northern limits of the site). The material recovered included both finished and discarded tools and waste materials. A number of raw materials including pebble flint, quartzite, chert, quartz and possibly rock crystal were evident. A preliminary examination of the flint also suggests that it ranges widely in quality.
The location and nature of the assemblage, with a high proportion of pebble cores and chunks, suggest that flint was being recovered from the beach and broken to determine its quality, with the waste material discarded over quite a wide area.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
