County: Louth Site name: DUNDALK: Area 6, Marshes Upper
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0233
Author: Robert O’Hara, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Structure
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 705783m, N 805186m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.985096, -6.387071
Excavation at Area 6, Dundalk Institute of Technology, took place from 26 March to 8 April 2002. This site was one of twenty areas of archaeology identified across the development, which involved the construction of six playing fields, with associated access road, car-parking facilities, running track, palisade fencing, drainage and power-line burial.
A depth of 0.1–0.2m of topsoil had been mechanically stripped before excavation; all archaeological deposits remained as cuts into the natural subsoil. The southern side of the excavated area had been reduced through quarrying activity by 0.25m in places, and no archaeological features remained in this area. The excavated features seemed to be the remains of an oval structure, built of posts and without a footing trench. A number of external pits containing small amounts of charcoal and cremated animal bone were also uncovered. There was no evidence of a hearth. Ten post-holes were excavated, seven of which appeared to have held structural posts for either an oval or a U-shaped structure. The remaining three could not be adequately interpreted. Many of the posts appeared to have been disturbed in some way by post-medieval activities (either quarrying or agriculture) and had an average diameter of c. 0.3m. The external pits were oval and very shallow, contained only a minimal amount of charcoal and cremated animal bone (too small for positive identification), and are considered to be refuse pits. No finds were retrieved from any of the excavated features.
The U-shaped or possibly oval structure had internal roof supports. It had a maximum width of 3.6m and was at least 3.6m long. The wall posts were 0.3–0.5m in diameter and relatively evenly spaced (1.2–1.8m). The structure was built without a footing trench. There was no evidence of internal divisions or furniture, which, given the denudation that had occurred, was not surprising. No entrance was discernible. A sample from the fill of an associated pit yielded a radiocarbon date of AD 960–1220 (2-sigma calibration).
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
