2006:2101 - DUNCORMICK, Wexford

This site comprised a corn-drying kiln, ditches and pits, including a substantial ditch identified as a possible bailey ditch associated with a motte. The site was in Duncormick village to the north of the R736 in south County Wexford. The site works were undertaken on behalf of Wexford County Council on an affordable housing scheme. The site is situated on elevated ground adjacent to a motte and commands views of the coast to the south and of undulating farmland to the east and north-east. The view is curtailed to the north and west by recent overgrowth. This programme of works follows an impact assessment and a programme of testing by Áine Richardson, Eachtra Archaeological Projects (Excavations 2004, No. 1799, 02E0040). The material recorded has been grouped into seven groups/areas.

Group A comprised a single feature, a field boundary aligned north–south in the centre of the site. From east to west the boundary comprised a shallow (0.35m) concave ditch (maximum 1.8m wide), a raised bank of natural subsoil material (1.2m wide by 1.1m high) with occasional irregular granite facing of rounded stones (maximum 0.15m by 0.15m by 0.15m) and a second concave shallow ditch (1.2m wide by 0.35m high). The bank in the centre was overgrown with mature thorn and brambles. The fills of the ditches contained sherds of modern, post-medieval and medieval pottery. Modern refuse and concrete was also identified in the fills of the ditches.

Group B comprised all the material identified to the west of Group A, including a probable corn-drying kiln, a ditch, a gully and an irregular feature. The corn-drying kiln, located in the north-west of the site, comprised a regular cut and three fills. Despite the characteristic morphology of the feature, no fills containing charred cereals or charcoal were identified in the field. All the fills contained medieval pottery. A coin recovered from the uppermost fill has been provisionally identified as a ‘John, Short Cross Penny’ (dated to 1207–c. 1210). The ditch was located in the west of the site and was identified as medieval during the previous test excavation on the site. It comprised a shallow irregular ditch cutting a subcircular pit in the north of the ditch and a small circular pit in the south of the ditch.

Medieval pottery was recovered from all the fills of this feature. The gully was located immediately north of the medieval ditch. It had been identified as a possible pit during previous test excavation. It was found to be shallow and insubstantial; a portion of the feature has been damaged/disturbed by modern activity (containing concrete). It is probable that this feature represents disturbed/redeposited material associated with the ditch. The irregular feature comprised silts associated with charcoal in the west of the site. The feature overlay modern material and therefore must be considered to represent non in situ archaeology.

Group C material comprised a disturbed area in the centre of the site and is non-archaeological. This group overlay Group F (a medieval pit). The material comprised redeposited natural subsoil and topsoil associated with modern pottery.

Group D comprised four post-holes and a shallow rounded pit in the centre of the site. The post-holes were very similar, all round with steep sides and a flat base. They form an irregular rectangle and may represent the remnants of a structure. The pit was located to the north-west of the post-holes. Due to the insubstantial nature of this pit (0.05m depth), any provisional interpretation is speculative. No artefacts were recovered from these features.

Group E comprised three elements: a subcircular slot-trench and two pits. The latest feature comprised a subcircular shallow pit (1.65m by 2m by 0.26m). The feature contained three fills containing secondary deposits of charcoal. No artefacts were associated with it. Due to the location of the pit and the absence of modern material, it is probable that this feature is directly associated with the slot-trench. The second pit was steep-sided with a mortar base. The feature has been identified as a possible post-hole base. Provisional identification of the mortar material indicates that this feature may be substantially later than the surrounding archaeological activity. The slot-trench comprised a subcircular cut aligned north-west/south-east. The eastern extent of this feature has been truncated by modern disturbance. Packing stones and a post-hole identified within this slot-trench indicate that it represents the remnants of a structure. Medieval pottery was recovered from this feature.

Group F comprised a circular regular pit with a single fill and a flat base in the centre of the site. The feature was underneath the modern material identified as Group C. The base of the feature was covered with placed stones forming a firm base. The fill contained medieval pottery.

Group G comprised a medieval ditch in the east of the site. The ditch was identified during the test excavation. It was aligned north-west/south-east and it is likely that this feature represents the remnants of a bailey ditch. The ditch was wide (maximum 5.2m) and deep (maximum 1.35m) with sloping sides and a rounded base. The composition of the fills varied. They comprised gravels, sands, silts and clays. The lower fills generally comprised silts and have been interpreted as the natural silting of the open ditch. All other fills have been provisionally interpreted as the intentional backfilling of the feature (possibly in antiquity). A large quantity of medieval pottery sherds were recovered from this feature. The upper fills of the ditch also contained charcoal, slag and burnt clay. This material may represent the discarded remnants of medieval ironworking.

The post-medieval alignment (north–south) of the access lane to Duncormick Lodge was also identified in the east of the site.

Following completion of the excavation, a programme of sieving was undertaken. This yielded further sherds of medieval pottery that were not identified during excavation. A programme of wet sieving was also undertaken, using a technique designed by Tom Moran. The sieving yielded further sherds of medieval pottery and slag.

In total 763 ceramic artefacts were recovered from the site, comprising 685 sherds of medieval pottery, 41 post-medieval sherds and 49 modern sherds (provisional analysis only).

Coolroe, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow