2004:1084 - DROGHEDA: Old Mart Site, Green Lane and Magdalene Street, Louth

Magdalene Street is located in the zone of archaeological potential of Drogheda and is present on both Newcomen's (1657) and Ravell's (1749) map of Drogheda. It is near St Peter's Church, the Dominican friary and the Augustinian friary. The site comprised a mixture of residential buildings and the old cattle mart. All of the houses had yet to be demolished. The entire area was covered in c. 0.15m of concrete that had to be removed prior to testing.

Twelve trenches were dug using a mechanical digger fitted with a toothless bucket. All were 2.6m wide (the width of the excavator bucket). They were located over the whole of the Old Mart site, except in the areas where buildings were still standing. Services criss-crossed the entire site and in some cases impacted on the archaeological deposits. Testing was carried out on 22–26 September 2003. All but three trenches (Trenches 3–5) contained archaeological material.

Trench 1 measured 16m in length. The north of the trench contained c. 1m of overburden and the south c. 1.5m. This part of the site is on a slope and it is possible that this modern deposit was placed in order to level the ground. Archaeological material was identified beneath the overburden. This layer was black, soft and contained pottery, glass, animal bones (cow, sheep, dog, cat and micro-fauna) and shell (mussel, oyster and cockle). It was also from this layer that part of a human tibia was recovered. The trench was dug to a depth of 3.2m. At the base of Trench 1 there seemed to be a cut/ditch filled with archaeological material. A small test-trench 2m in length and 0.5m in width was hand dug at 3.2m depth, indicating that in some areas there was at least another 0.5m of archaeological material below this. It was from within this small trench that decorated floor tile and slate roof tiles with nail holes were recovered. Animal bone, shell and nails were also recovered from this small trench.

Trench 2 was 18m long, 3m in depth and was perpendicular to the southern end of Trench 1. It also contained a significant layer of overburden (1–1.5m). Several cellars were identified, but archaeological deposits were identified in the areas that had not been disturbed. The deposit, as with that in all the trenches with archaeological material, was similar to that of Trench 1.

Trench 3 was 12m long and 2m in depth, Trench 4 was 10.8m in length and 2.1m in depth and Trench 5 was 10m in length and 2m in depth.

Trench 6 was located parallel to Trench 5. It measured 12m in length and 0.8m in depth. It contained 0.7m of overburden that directly overlay the archaeological deposit. An underground fuel tank was located to the western side of the trench.

Trench 7 was located parallel to Trench 6 and it also curved and joined the southern end of Trench 6. It measured 16m in length and 0.9m in depth. It contained 0.75m of overburden over an archaeological deposit.

Trench 8 measured 5m in length and 1.72m in depth. A significant layer of overburden (c. 1m) was in the trench. The building of a cellar had disturbed the northern end of the trench. The southern end contained an archaeological deposit.

Trench 9 was parallel to Trench 2. It measured 14.5m in length and 1.9m in depth. It contained 0.75m of overburden over an archaeological deposit. A cellar had disturbed the eastern end of the trench.

Trench 10 was located parallel to Trench 8. It measured 5m in length and 0.9m in depth. It contained 0.2m of overburden over an archaeological deposit.

Trench 11 was located parallel to Trench 10. It measured 5m in length and 0.85m in depth. It contained 0.3m of overburden over an archaeological deposit.

Trench 12 was located parallel to Trench 7. It measured 9m in length and 1m in depth. It contained 0.45m of overburden over an archaeological deposit.

Caroline Powell subsequently excavated this site.

27 Hilltown Way, Swords, Co. Dublin