2003:2139 - OLDCOURT: Ballycullen Road, Dublin

Monitoring of the housing development at Ballycullen continued in 2003 with three additional phases of monitoring of topsoil-stripping. Phases 6 and 7 were carried out in May and July 2003. The site of the development is situated on a north-facing slope in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains and is located west of the Ballycullen Road. Prior to topsoil-stripping, the area was covered by high grass and had, in the recent past, been used for pasture. Several features were encountered and subsequently excavated.

Phase 6
The sixth phase of the monitoring programme took place in May 2003. The site for this phase of topsoil-stripping covered the south-west corner of Field 2 of the development, the remainder of which had been stripped during Phase 3 in 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 638) During this phase, five potential archaeological features were identified and subsequently excavated under licence number 03E0770 (No. 650, Excavations 2003). The features were labelled A–E and were located in an area measuring 25m north-west by 10m, on gently sloping ground, situated between 5 and 30m south of Ballycullen Site 2, a fulacht fiadh, which was excavated in September 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 640, 02E1374). Features A and B consisted of small pits with charcoal-rich fills. Feature C was an irregular spread which measured 2m by 0.6m north-west/south-east and consisted of burnt-stone material similar to that excavated from the nearby fulacht fiadh. Features D and E were, through subsequent excavation, identified as non-archaeological. These features can be interpreted as being associated with Site 2, due to their location and exposed fills, and were provisionally identified to be of possible prehistoric date.

Disturbance to the natural subsoil was identified in the form of two field drains. Three small pieces of struck flint were found near Feature A. Several sherds of post-18th-century pottery, including white-glazed crockery, unglazed earthenware and black-glazed earthenware, were recovered from the topsoil.

Phase 7

This phase of topsoil-stripping was carried out in July 2003 and covered the southernmost field of the residential development, measuring 275m east–west by 205m (maximum). The area included a low but marked ridge orientated east–west at the southern extent of the stripped area; to the north of this the ground sloped gently downwards to the north-northwest. Ten areas of potential features were identified, labelled A to P. They consisted of solitary features and large areas containing a high density of features such as post-holes, gullies, pits and cobbled surfaces. The areas were divided into three sites (Ballycullen Sites 3, 4 and 5) and were excavated in September–October 2003.

Two large anomalies resembling derelict field boundaries were identified on the top of the ridge, orientated east–west and north-west/south-east, truncating Areas A, B and E. These may have been boundaries which were disused by the time the first-edition OS map was produced in 1844. Disturbance to the natural subsoil was identified in the form of several field drains, generally orientated north–south. Frequent furrow marks were identified throughout the field, cutting into the natural subsoil. Finds from Phase 7 mainly consisted of modern pottery sherds, with occasional sherds of post-medieval pottery, two sherds of Dublin ware and one sherd of Leinster ware. Other finds consisted of glass, clay-pipe fragments, a piece of struck flint and some undiagnostic pieces of corroded metal. One gold-plated button with the insignia of a crown and the initials ‘VR’ (Victoria Regina) was also found.

Site 3
Site 3 included six areas situated on the crest of the ridge in the southern part of the development (Areas A, B and E–H, excavation licence number 03E1473, No. 651, Excavations 2003).

Area A was situated on the eastern edge of the ridge and encompassed an area of 30m east–west by 35m. The area exhibited a high density of features, including a curvilinear gully, post-holes, pits and evidence of burning, forming the pattern of a circular structure of possible prehistoric date. The gully measured 14.5m in diameter and was concentric with a circle of post-holes of possible roof-support posts. Approximately 70 features were identified during initial inspection. Sixteen fragments of undecorated coarse prehistoric pottery were found on the surface of a charcoal-rich fill of a pit and a fragmentary leaf-shaped flint arrowhead in pressure-flake technique; one flint core and some pieces of debitage were also recovered from this area. Area B consisted of c. 25 features and was situated at the ridge c. 15m to the west of Area A, measuring 20m by 15m.

Area B consisted of a less dense group of features, including possible post-holes, pits and a cobbled surface, not forming a discernible pattern and possibly associated with Area A. Area E consisted of a large drop-shaped feature, measuring 5.1m east–west by 1.5m, including two possible post-holes and one small pit. The features contained a charcoal-rich soil with frequent inclusions of burnt stone, resembling fulacht fiadh material, and occasional fragments of burnt bone. Areas G and H consisted of two possible cremation pits. Area F was identified as root disturbance during subsequent excavation.

Site 4
Site 4 consisted of Areas K, L and P (subsequently excavated under excavation licence number 03E1474, No. 652, Excavations 2003) and was situated in the north-west corner of the field. These areas contained pits of possible prehistoric to early-historic date, some with evidence of burning in situ; two of these possibly represented kilns. Area K consisted of a possible cremation pit and a post-hole.

Site 5
Site 5 (Area N, subsequently excavated under excavation licence number 03E1475, No. 653, Excavations 2003) consisted of a single pit, with evidence of burning in situ, and was situated in the eastern part of the field.

32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2