County: Dublin Site name: LUSK: Dun Emer Estate, Phase 6
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU008-103001–6 Licence number: 05E0848
Author: Antoine Giacometti, Arch-Tech Ltd.
Site type: Ringfort - unclassified, Enclosure, House - early medieval and Kiln - corn-drying
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 721606m, N 754494m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.526326, -6.165884
An archaeological site was discovered to the south-east of Lusk village, Co. Dublin, during pre-development testing for Phase 6 of the Dun Emer residential estate in late July and early August 2005. The site was fully excavated later that year. It has been interpreted as a defended farmstead set within an agricultural landscape.
The main enclosure was sub-square in shape and measured c. 35m in diameter. It was defined by a large ditch that measured c. 2.5m in width and c. 1m in depth, with evidence for an inner bank. A rough metalled or cobbled surface was found along the base of the ditch. A set of post-holes indicated a large timber bridge over the ditch to the south of the enclosure, suggesting that the main entrance was from this direction. Two oval or circular structures defined by post-holes were found within the enclosure, measuring 6–11m in diameter. One of these had an entrance to the south-east and the other had a centrally located hearth. A curvilinear cut feature that appeared to be associated with metalworking was found to the north-east of the enclosure.
Immediately to the east of the main enclosure was a second sub-square enclosure, 20m in diameter, defined by a smaller ditch. Two possible entrances were located to the north of this enclosure and an access point over the ditch to the west allowed passage between both enclosures. No features were found within the enclosure and one possible interpretation is that it served as an animal pen. A third smaller rectangular enclosure was located to the north of the main enclosure. This was defined by a complex of shallow ditches that were filled by silts packed with charred seeds, which were likely to have come from a large unlined corn-drying kiln located nearby.
A series of ditches radiated out from the settlement to the north, east and west, extending for over 70m away from the main enclosure. These are likely to have been part of a field system surrounding the site.
A very small number of artefacts were recovered from the excavation. Based on previous excavations of similar sites, it is probable that the main period of the settlement’s occupation dates to the early medieval period, the 5th to 12th centuries AD. The excavation also uncovered evidence for the management of the landscape around the site over a long period of time, possibly from the late prehistoric period to the 18th century, in the form of field ditches and field drains. Radiocarbon dating of the charred plant remains from the site will provide further dating evidence.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
