2003:2117 - LAUGHANSTOWN, Dublin

Monitoring of groundworks associated with the development of the Science and Technology Park (II) and district lands in Cherrywood and Laughanstown was undertaken between 21 July and 25 August 2003 (No. 468, Excavations 2003, 03E0839). Six areas of archaeological potential were uncovered and investigated under separate licences (Nos 623, 03E1145; 470, 03E1182; 634, 03E1365; 625, 03E1366; 626 and 627, 03E1471). The following refers to Site 6, a circular arrangement of pits, an enclosing ditch and a linear feature. The excavation of this site was carried out between 2 and 10 September 2003.

The site covered an area of 70.5m2 and was located on a west-facing slope 42.6–41.9m OD, west of the late 17th-century military camp at Laughanstown (SMR 26:127). The stratigraphy comprised c. 0.28m of ploughsoil overlying natural ground.

A total of 29 pits formed an unbroken circle with an internal diameter of 7.5m. The pits were subrectangular–trapezoidal in shape with straight sides and a flat base. They ranged in size from 0.28 to 0.6m long, 0.28 to 0.5m wide externally and 0.23 to 0.28m wide internally. Their depths ranged from 0.06 to 0.62m and the average distance between the pits was 0.37m. The pits opened into an enclosing ditch.

The enclosing ditch had a circumference of 23.5m and was 0.65–0.85m wide and 0.27–0.4m deep. There was no evidence for a break or entrance in the ditch.

A linear feature extended for 1.5m from the west of the ditch and appeared to be contemporary. It was a steep-sided cut 0.3m wide and 0.15m deep, with two fills. The lower fill was dark-brown clay with much charcoal and some burnt earth and stone. The upper fill was yellowish-brown silty clay with some stone and little charcoal.

The sides of each pit were burnt, and burning extended from the opening of the pits along the inner edge of the enclosing ditch. Burning had apparently taken place within the pits simultaneously, but there was minimal burning within the ditch. The fills of the ditch and pits result from the burning that took place on-site. The pits were filled with the same material as that within the upper levels of the enclosing ditch.

Three main fills were identified within the ditch. The primary fill was black silt with very frequent inclusions of charcoal and very occasional inclusions of burnt bone. In the south-east of the ditch a thin layer of redeposited natural was found between the primary and secondary fills. The secondary fill was a black, charcoal-rich silty deposit with some burnt earth and very occasional inclusions of burnt bone. The upper fill of the ditch was a greyish-black silty soil with a very high frequency of charcoal, some stones and very occasional inclusions of burnt bone. This fill was identical to the fills of the pits, suggesting that it had spilled out from them.

The accumulations of fills on this site probably result from a series of burning episodes related to its use. One pit, which had been cut at a higher level than the others, did not open into the encircling ditch, but there was evidence that burning had taken place within it. The pits and the ditch were sealed by moderately compacted yellowish-brown silty clay. This was 0.09–0.24m deep and was similar to natural subsoil, but with occasional charcoal flecks. This material may have built up as a result of agricultural activity carried out after the site had gone out of use. It was cut by a number of early modern plough furrows.

The majority of finds from this site, in particular a coin or token from the middle ditch fill, indicate that it dates from the mid- to late 18th century. Two residual sherds of Leinster cooking ware were also recovered. Finds from the uppermost fill and ploughsoil broadly date from the 17th to early 20th centuries. The presence of finds contemporary with the use of the site may be due to the disturbance of ground resulting from later agricultural activity.

2 Kiliney View, Albert Road Lower