2005:919 - SPRINGFIELD (1), Laois

An assessment was carried out in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme between February and June 2005. The work was carried out in March 2005 on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. An archaeological site designated Springfield 1 was identified in Testing Area 1 by Anne-Marie Lennon and consisted of a circular hut truncated by a curvilinear palisade trench (see No. 918, Excavations 2005).

Excavation of this site revealed the slot foundations of a possible circular structure that had a diameter of 3m. The V-shaped slot-trench was extremely narrow, 0.11m wide and 0.1m deep, and could only have supported a very light, flimsy structure. The western extent of this feature truncated a larger curvilinear slot-trench. This larger trench consisted of two lengths of slots, which were separated by a 2.5m causeway of undug soil that may have acted as a possible entrance. The full extent of the second slot-trench was undetermined, as it became more shallow as it extended westwards. It appeared that the ground surface along the west of the site was more heavily degraded than elsewhere, resulting in the destruction of the slot-trench within this area. Only 14m of this feature survived, while it averaged 0.4m in width and had a maximum depth of 0.25m. It is possible that this slot-trench may have been the foundation of a palisaded enclosure, but no internal features were identified. No packing stones were present within the slot, the fill of which was comprised almost exclusively of dark-brown to black silty clay. Numerous furrows were present throughout the site and no artefacts were retrieved.

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