2003:2116 - LAUGHANSTOWN, Dublin

Monitoring of groundworks associated with the development of the Science and Technology Park (II) and district lands in Cherrywood and Laughanstown (c. 26.7ha) was undertaken during 21 July to 25 August 2003 (No. 468, Excavations 2003, 03E0839). Six areas of archaeological potential were uncovered and separate licences were obtained for each (Nos 623, 03E1145; 470, 03E1182; 634, 03E1365; 625, 03E1366; 626 and 627, 03E1471). The following refers to Site 5: two burnt mounds, which were tested between 21 and 26 August 2003. The works proposed for this area of the development were modified in order to facilitate the preservation in situ of the burnt mounds.

Burnt Mound 1
A layer of redeposited natural and/or hill wash (up to 1m deep) was removed to expose the full northern extent of the mound and its eastern extent was uncovered in a test-trench. The burnt mound measured 16.6m by 27.5m. Sections were excavated through the mound. The trough was located in one of these sections.

A pit (0.9m long and 0.35m deep) was identified, in section, below the mound material. It was filled with blackish-brown sandy silt with much charcoal and orangey-brown sandy silt with little charcoal. A sherd of pottery, possibly Bronze Age coarseware, was recovered from the pit.

The trough was evident as a darker area of mound material with a high concentration of stone. It was subrectangular in shape and its size has been estimated from the excavated section as 1.6m long, 0.8m wide and 0.4m deep. Four fills were evident and there were five possible stake-holes along its southern edge. The lowest fill of the trough (50–100mm deep) was loosely compacted black silty sand with much charcoal and granite. Above this was a thin layer (30mm) of pale-grey sand with crushed granite, overlying which was black silty sand with much charcoal and gravel (20–50mm). The upper fill (0.1–0.26m deep) was black sand with many large stones (0.3m by 0.2m by 0.1m).

The mound material was concentrated in the north, east and west and a gravelly deposit between the spreads is thought to be a dried-out watercourse. A section excavated through the mound material revealed several deposits and lenses with much charcoal and granite, ranging in size from pebbles to boulders. These lenses suggest that the mounds built up gradually, but there was no clear evidence to suggest a period of disuse on-site. The northern spread was the shallowest (0.2m), but the other spreads were up to 0.8m deep.

A ditch 0.6–1m wide and 0.25m deep had been cut through the mound and a stone-lined drain was uncovered to the south-west. These features probably result from land improvement and agricultural activity carried out during post-medieval times.

Burnt Mound 2
A second burnt mound was located c. 90m to the north-west of Burnt Mound 1. This mound had been truncated by a series of drains inserted during the post-medieval period in an attempt to drain the land. Two sections were excavated, approximately northwest/south-east and east–west, through the mound material, and three phases of activity were uncovered.

Three pits and two linear features were identified, in section, beneath the mound material. The first pit was filled with stony soil with some charcoal (0.32m deep). A second probable pit (0.6m by 0.3m) was uncovered to its south-east and a third pit (1.3m wide and 0.4m deep) was uncovered to the south. A northwest/south-east linear feature (2–3m wide) was uncovered to the north and a second linear feature was uncovered to the south. The latter was aligned north-east/south-west and was 1.4m wide and 0.45m deep. Since these features were not fully investigated, it is difficult to interpret their date and function. Their presence, however, indicates that there was a significant amount of activity on this site prior to the build-up of the mound.

The mound (c. 54m north–south by 17m) was located on a south-west-facing slope. It was composed of one main deposit of material (0.1–0.3m deep). This was loosely compacted blackish-brown sandy clay with stone (50mm) and charcoal. No evidence for a trough was identified during testing.

Four subcircular patches (0.3–1.1m) of burnt earth were uncovered. These most likely functioned as hearths for firing material during the use of the site.

Several features resulting from activity postdating the build-up of the burnt mound were identified. Some of these were stratigraphically linked and it was possible to determine a number of phases of post-mound activity.

A north–south ditch cut through the centre of the mound material and the burnt spread was truncated to the west by three stone-lined drains. The largest of these was 1.2m wide and 0.5m deep. Cutting through one of the drains was a ditch 1.25m wide and 0.4m deep. This may be the remains of an earlier field boundary. It was truncated by another of the stone-lined drains.

2 Kiliney View, Albert Road Lower, Co. Dublin