2005:416 - DARCYSTOWN, Dublin

Excavations in advance of the construction of a housing development on an 11.3–acre field at Darcystown, Skerries Road, Balrothery, were carried out between 29 November 2004 and 28 January 2005. Six areas (Areas 1–6) contained material of archaeological significance. The excavation of Areas 1, 2 (a cremation cemetery) and 3 commenced in December 2004 (see Excavations 2004, No. 497). The excavation of the remaining areas commenced at the beginning of 2005: Area 6 (10–11 January), Area 5 (12–24 January) and Area 4 (25–28 January).

The excavation of Area 2 commenced on 3 December and was completed on 21 January 2005. It measured 900m2 and was the largest of the six areas investigated at Darcystown. The archaeological record for Area 2 comprised seven pits containing cremated bone and substantially intact prehistoric vessels, one pit containing cremated bone inclusions and prehistoric vessel fragments, three pits containing cremated bone but no pottery, four pits containing <2% cremated bone inclusions, two related pits which contained prehistoric pottery but no cremated bone, six other pits, nine cultivation furrows of relatively recent origin and one other linear feature.

The excavated evidence from Area 2 shows that a cremation cemetery was established on the prominent dome of the field (around 61m OD), containing the remains of seven upright cremation vessels, together with one removed during testing of the site in October 2003 (see Excavations 2003, No. 461). The cemetery appears to have been unenclosed, as there was no evidence for an associated ring-ditch. This part of the field was subject to much ploughing since the prehistoric period, resulting in the cutting of close-set furrows deep into the surface of the subsoil, with much attendant disturbance to the vulnerable pits and vessels constituting the cremation cemetery. The furrows were consistently aligned north-east/south-west. The exception was linear/curvilinear feature C030, delimiting the southern edge of Area 2. However, while the line of C030 pre-dated the furrows, the feature clearly cut one of the cremation pits, C029. No finds were recovered from the fill of C030, which on the basis of the excavated evidence may have been a drainage-related feature of relatively recent origin.

There are a number of comparable sites in the Irish archaeological record where cremation deposits in upright vessels have been excavated. At Priestsnewtown, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, a group of five such vessels was excavated in April 2004, four in a cluster enclosed by a circular slot-trench, the other vessel immediately external to the trench (Excavations 2004, No. 1883, 04E0401). It is noted that, towards the end of the Middle Bronze Age, the use of special funerary vessels in burial contexts was replaced by domestic pots, and ‘as part of this process of change the placement of vessels in upright positions in pits (rather than cists) becomes a feature of the record’ (Grogan and Roche 2004, 2). Although the Darcystown vessels have yet to undergo post-conservation analysis, it is a strong possibility that they will closely resemble the coarseware pots excavated at Site 6b, Priestsnewtown. Such pottery is assigned to the Late Bronze Age, having been very securely dated at Rathgall, Co. Wicklow, Haughey’s Fort, Co. Armagh, and Mooghaun South, Co. Clare, to between 1100 BC and 800 BC (ibid., 4). However, set against this interpretation is the fact that several sherds from a fragmented vessel or vessels associated with pits C010/C090 were highly decorated, which means that there is more to the Area 2 evidence than Late Bronze Age cemetery remains, as some material on the site considerably pre-dates that period. Detailed analysis of the ceramic and lithic assemblages will shed more light on the questions of chronology and function related to the Area 2 features.

Area 4 comprised a burnt spread, a linear feature of post-medieval date and a pit with a piece of cut timber lying above it. The burnt spread measured c. 12m long (north–south) by c. 10m wide. The pit was located below the spread. It was sub-oval in plan, measuring 1.2m (north–south) by 0.8m by up to 0.85m deep. The fill comprised black silty clay with inclusions of wood fragments and burnt sandstone. A timber plank was placed across the top of the fill of the pit. It measured 1.3m long by 0.19m by 0.05m.

Area 5 was located near the south-west corner of the field, c. 18m north-west of Area 4. The area comprised seven burnt spreads, five pits, a ring-gully and a stone-lined drain. The largest burnt spread measured 6.5m (north-west/south-east) by 4.05m and 0.1m deep. It was composed of moderately compact black silty clay with 15–20% inclusions of shattered red angular sandstone. The largest of the pits, C105, was probably the remains of the type of trough normally associated with fulachta fiadh. The pit was a sub-oval cut measuring 3.6m (north–south) by 1.6m and 0.42m deep. Another pit, C119, was cut into the base of C105. The feature measured 0.8m in diameter by 0.25m deep. There were three fills in the C105/C119 trough. The lower fill consisted of moderately compact light grey silty clay containing 25% inclusions of charcoal and preserved wood. The secondary fill, up to 0.19m deep, was composed of compact black silty clay with 20% inclusions of charcoal and decayed stone. The upper fill consisted of compact light greyish-brown medium silty sand. It was archaeologically sterile. A sloping cut in the subsoil was aligned east–west on the western side of the trough and was probably related to the channelling of water into the trough from a point to the west or north-west.

The ring-gully was subrectangular in plan, although there were a number of gaps in the circuit. The feature post-dated C093, one of the burnt spreads in the area. The feature had overall measurements of 5.84m (north-north-east/south-south-west) by 3.6m and up to 0.18m deep. The gully contained two fills, C099 and C114. Fill C099 was moderately compact mid-grey silty clay with 2% inclusions of charred wood; fill C114 was moderately compact dark-brown/grey sandy clay with 5% inclusions of sub-rounded pebbles.

Area 6 was located c. 70m south-west of Area 2 and c. 60m north-north-east of Area 5. It consisted of two small pits, C072 and C074, both of which contained prehistoric pottery. Pit C072 was subcircular in plan and measured 0.42m (north-west/south-east) by 0.4m and 0.07m deep. The fill consisted of moderately compact dark-grey/black medium clayey sand mottled with yellow clayey sand containing 5% inclusions of charcoal and pebbles. In addition, there were c. 3% inclusions of cremated bone. The fill also contained fourteen sherds of prehistoric pottery, probably derived from a single vessel. The second pit was located 1.28m west-north-west of pit C072. It measured 0.24m (north–south) by 0.32m and 0.08m deep. The fill consisted of moderately compact dark-grey/black medium clayey sand mottled with yellow clayey sand containing 5% inclusions of charcoal and pebbles. There were no traces of cremated bone, but the fill contained 30 sherds of prehistoric pottery, probably derived from a single vessel.

The excavation results suggest that Areas 4 and 5 each contained the levelled remains of a fulacht fiadh. The argument for a fulacht fiadh in Area 4 rests on a thin burnt spread. The excavation of this material revealed just a single feature cut into the subsoil, a deep pit. This feature would have filled with ground-water as soon as it was dug, but otherwise it is much too small to be regarded as a trough. It is possible that the trough was located at the southern limit of the burnt spread and was subsequently destroyed by the digging of the post-medieval boundary ditch. There was no evidence relating to a hearth in the area. In common with Area 4, the burnt spreads in Area 5 were very thinly stratified on the surface of the subsoil, indicating substantial levelling and erosion of the material through agricultural processes. However, the largest negative feature in the area, C105, appears substantial enough to have functioned as a trough. The circular cut at the base of the trough may have been dug as a sump to facilitate the supply of ground-water into the trough. There was no evidence for a hearth related to activity at the site. It is possible that the hearth was established at a higher level, on a surface subsequently removed by agricultural processes, therefore leaving no trace in the surviving record.

The other significant feature of Area 5 clearly post-dated the phase of activity related to the operation of a fulacht fiadh. The remains of ring-gully C113 represent a small enclosure, probably a dwelling of some type. There is quite a wide break in the circuit to the south-west, where an entrance could have been located. Such an interpretation suggests that the ring-gully was a slot-trench into which panels of wattle and daub would have been fixed to form the walls of the structure. Unfortunately, the fill of the ring-gully produced no artefacts and there were no occupation layers associated with the feature, or any other related post-holes or stake-holes.

Reference
Grogan, E. and Roche, H. 2004 The prehistoric pottery from Site 6b, Priestsnewtown, Greystones, Co. Wicklow (04E0401). Unpublished report for Judith Carroll & Co. Ltd.

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