County: Wicklow Site name: CHARLESLAND (Site 1A)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WI013-071001- Licence number: 03E1821
Author: Bernice Molloy, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Pit and Enclosure
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 729462m, N 710521m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.129487, -6.065439
This site was exposed during topsoil-stripping for Phase I of the residential development at Charlesland, Co. Wicklow. This project is part of a larger road and industrial development scheme. Fourteen sites have been excavated to date within the development zone.
Site 1A was located in very low-lying land which was liable to flooding. It was situated c. 20m south of the Three Trouts Stream. The site was extremely disturbed by land drainage and cultivation. Post-excavation work is ongoing but, based on finds retrieved during excavation, two phases of activity have been identified.
Prehistoric
A trough was located at the eastern extent of the site. It measured 1.9m (north-east/south-west) by 1.65m and was 0.6m deep. Six timbers were located at the base of the trough and a preliminary investigation would suggest that they were reused. The remains of a wattle lining were evident on the eastern and southern edges of the cut. Four shallow pits and a shallow spread were located to the north of the trough. There were no traces of a burnt mound associated with the trough.
Early medieval?
Two curvilinear ditches were excavated at the western extent of the site. The western ditch measured 13m in length and varied in width between 0.6 and 0.8m. The eastern ditch measured 10m in length. Large quantities of iron slag and burnt bone were retrieved from the fills of both ditches. The nature of the burnt bone has yet to be identified.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
