2006:1367 - HAGGARDSTOWN, Louth

Excavation of this site took place from May to September 2006 at a planned housing scheme. The site was one of a number identified as a result of an extensive testing (Excavations 2005, No. 1078, 05E0963). The site was located on a south-facing slope at roughly 16m OD, 4km south of Dundalk town and 1.5km from the coast. There were good views to the south, east and west.

A large circular enclosure was uncovered with an entrance to the east. The enclosure measured 45m north–south by 47m internally and the entrance was 3m wide. The ditch was substantial and appeared to be defensive in nature. At its widest the ditch measured 6.25m to the north-west and at its narrowest just 2.25m to the south. At its deepest it was 3.05m to the north-west and at its shallowest, to the south, at 0.55m.

The depth and width of the ditch varied quite dramatically and it had the appearance of having been dug by different teams. The north terminal was V-shaped and measured 2.7m deep. To the north-east, north and west the ditch was wide and deep and varied from V-shaped to steep sides with a flat base cut through rock. This part of the ditch had an average depth of 2.5m. In one location, to the north-west, there was evidence of burning on a large slab of bedrock protruding from the side of the ditch, which may indicate an attempt at using fire to help in shattering the bedrock. A dramatic feature of the ditch was a sharp step to the west-south-west where a steep V-shaped section, 2.74m deep, joined a shallower portion of ditch at just 0.9m deep. To the south the ditch was narrower and shallower, measuring as little as 2.25m wide by 0.55m deep. From the south-south-east to the east the ditch widened again and measured from 1.25m to 2.05m deep at the south terminal, which had steep sides and a wide flat base.

The fills of the ditch were largely sterile and gave the impression of having been deliberately backfilled quite soon after it was opened. Some quality finds, however, especially stone tools such as an axe head and a hammerstone, were recovered from the ditch.

Some of the lower fills to either side of the entrance were rich in charcoal and yielded Late Bronze Age coarse bucket-shaped pottery. Another area which appeared to be a focus of activity was to the west-south-west, where the ditch suddenly deepened.

In the southern part of the ditch, where it was narrower and shallower, the fill was very stony, being made up predominantly of loose sub-angular stones. In general around the ditch, the main lower fill was very stony. Although quite sterile in appearance, occasional animal teeth and bone were found in this phase of deliberate backfilling. Fills higher up in the ditch were less stony. However, they continued to remain sterile for the most part, similar in consistency to redeposited natural, suggesting that they were deliberately backfilled bank material.

There was no clear indication within the fills as to which side the bank was on, although it is thought that the bank was most likely to have been on the inside. The features inside the entrance would have been perfectly placed to hold back the bank from slipping into the entranceway.

The final phase of backfilling was represented by silty fills, in marked contrast to the stony material below. This latest phase probably represents the deliberate backfilling and final levelling of the site and contained some quality finds, such as flint tools and a glass bead, along with some modern finds.

Although the majority of the fills were probably deliberate backfills, there were some which appeared to have slipped into the ditch soon after it was dug when the natural ditch edge and the bank were still unstable. Where the ditch was rock-cut, towards the west and north, angular stone fills entered the ditch first and probably represent stabilisation of the newly-cut rock. Further to the east, clay deposits along the lower edges were probably washed into the ditch when it was first opened.

Internal features were few, but two pairs of huge posts and a pair of slot-trenches immediately inside the entranceway may have formed some sort of gate structure. The posts were over 1m in diameter and 0.57–0.72m in depth. The slot-trenches were similar in size, with the larger measuring 2.44m by 0.64m by 0.22m; there was a 1.5m gap or walkway between them. Packing stones were present in some of these posts and also in the slot-trenches. In the centre of the enclosure was a subrectangular pit containing some Late Bronze Age pottery and flint. Four smaller posts with average dimensions of 0.38m by 0.33m by 0.22m formed a square and were located directly in line between the central pit and the gate features inside the entrance. These posts may represent some sort of lookout platform inside the gate.

A circular pit located close to the internal edge of the ditch yielded c. 500 sherds of Late Bronze Age coarse bucket-shaped pottery and some flint debitage. Two stone axeheads were also recovered from this pit during testing.

The foundations of a rectangular Neolithic house were uncovered 12m to the east of the enclosure. It was oriented north-east/south-west and measured 8.9m by 3.8m internally, and consisted of a foundation trench with post-holes set into it consistent with the post-and-plank construction method. There were traces of two internal divisions which would have divided the interior space into three roughly equal-sized rooms. An entrance was evident, in the south-west end, where the north-west and south-west walls met, and was defined by a gap in the foundation trench. There were a number of pits in the interior, mostly in the innermost two compartments in the house, which seemed to be the focus of activity. There was no evidence of a hearth.

The fill of the foundation trench was largely sterile and varied from 0.4 to 0.8m wide by 0.11 to 0.25m deep. Some of the post-holes had stone packing in their fills.

Some evidence for modifications during the life of the house was indicated. The innermost division in the house was truncated by a large pit. A pit on the east side of the house appeared to have cut through the foundation trench and could represent a repair to the structure.

The soil in the immediate area was very stony and there were areas of outcrop beside the house to the north and north-east. The northern corner of the house kicked out to avoid an area of bedrock, making the shape slightly irregular at that end. It would appear that the house had been truncated by ploughing over the years, as an area of bedrock in the northern corner protruded above the surface of the adjacent pits by at least 0.12m. It is most likely that this bedrock would not have protruded above floor level in the house. The foundation trench was best preserved at the northern end and contained a darker fill than the southern end, which appeared to have been quite truncated and contained a light fill with very little charcoal.

There were a number of pits in the vicinity of the house that could be interpreted as refuse or storage pits associated with the occupation. A cluster of posts and pits were excavated to the north-north-east of the house and may represent a smaller structure. A later ditch truncated this area, making any interpretation of a possible structure difficult.

Finds from the house included three tiny beads (two stone, one possibly bone), some flint debitage, charred hazelnut shells and c. 500 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery. The pottery was consistent with the round-bottomed, shouldered bowls of the Early Neolithic period.

A further concentration of Neolithic activity was identified to the north of the Late Bronze Age enclosure. This activity may have been truncated by the Late Bronze Age ditch and may also continue northward into a garden outside of the development area. These features consisted of a linear slot-trench and various pits and post-holes. Finds recovered from these features included Early Neolithic pottery sherds and flint. A short distance to the south-east of these features evidence of a flint-knapping area was identified around an area of outcropping bedrock.

Two figure-of-eight kilns were also excavated to the east and west of the enclosure. C13 measured 2.55m by 0.8m by 0.6m and C108 measured 2.16m by 1.17m by 0.4m. Charred grains and charcoal were recovered from one of the deposits in kiln C108.

Approximately 10m to the east of the Neolithic house was a small D-shaped enclosure measuring 5.25m by 7.5m, associated with a linear field boundary oriented north-east/south-west. A further three of these ditches were noted throughout the field. Each of them was in line with existing field boundaries.

This small enclosure was located close to the junction of two field boundary ditches, as if in the corner of a field, and appeared to be contemporary with these ditches. There was a small entranceway to the north-east that may have functioned as an animal pen. No finds or datable material was recovered from the almost sterile fills. However, a similar feature was excavated at Site 18, c. 500m to the south in Haynestown townland (see No. 1374, Excavations 2006, 06E0475).

9 Albert Terrace, Meath Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow