2004:1656 - ADAMSTOWN (3), Waterford

A total of four houses were exposed here. The first house was oval or circular in shape and was constructed from a large number of oval-shaped posts and post-holes. A porched entrance was identified to the south or south-east of the house. A number of hearths were exposed within the house and a large fragment of a saddle quern was recovered from one of the post-holes at the entrance. The second house was also oval or circular in shape and was located c. 4m to the north-east of House 1. An oval-shaped slot-trench was exposed, which had been filled with a black-coloured clay and charcoal. Internally the roof was supported by four post-holes. The third house pre-dated House 1. It was also oval or circular in shape and consisted of faint traces of a slot-trench. It was located to the north-west of House 1 and had been partially cut by it. The fourth house was located c. 3m to the north-west and consisted of a large number of post-holes and hearths.

Four linear features, pre-dating the houses, have also been exposed. They are roughly parallel to each other, north-west/south-east in orientation, and are c. 4.5m apart. It is possible that they may represent prehistoric field systems or traces of agricultural activity.