County: Waterford Site name: Woodstown 8
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A037; E3438
Author: Robert O’Hara, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Possible prehistoric structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 655317m, N 610738m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.245585, -7.189949
This site was excavated as part of the pre-construction archaeological mitigation of the N25 Waterford bypass, alternative route. This heavily disturbed site was situated on a south-facing slope with commanding views over the Suir Valley to the south-east. The site survived as a collection of extensively truncated pits and post-holes and the remnants of a small prehistoric structure. There were no faunal remains associated with this site, possibly a result of environmental conditions within the soil or as a consequence of disturbance.
A shallow patchy spread of brownish-grey silty clay was identified over an area c. 5m in diameter. It survived to a maximum depth of 0.1m and had frequent inclusions of charcoal and oxidised clay. It probably represents an amalgamation of material disturbed from surrounding features as well as occupation debris associated with activity at the structure. It contained a number of undecorated and decorated pottery sherds, provisionally identified as an Early Bronze Age vase urn, a flint scraper and a second struck flint. This spread partially sealed a small circular pit (0.63m by 0.61m by 0.3m), the base of which was slightly oxidised. The pit contained further sherds of Bronze Age pottery and a second flint scraper. Other smaller pits and post-holes were identified but did not form a recognisable arrangement.
Post-excavation analysis of the lithics is complete, but analysis of the prehistoric pottery is ongoing.
