2008:647 - Ardreigh, Kildare

A final fourth season of excavation commenced at Ardreigh on 11 May 2007 and was completed on 29 April 2008. Post-excavation is currently ongoing. The site has previously been reported on in: Excavations 2000, No. 458; 2001, No. 597; 2002, No. 856; 2003, No. 861; and 2007, No. 737.
The site is located 1.8km south of Athy along the proposed route of the realignment of the L18 Athy–Carlow road. The road-take measures c. 500m north–south by c. 17–20m wide and passes through the medieval borough of Ardreigh. Previous seasons of excavation revealed evidence of limited prehistoric occupation, an Early Christian graveyard element, a medieval graveyard element, and medieval settlement and industry.
The 2008 season concentrated on an area of land at the extreme north of the site. This was an area that was previously unavailable to the Council but had subsequently been released to them. It measured c. 50m north–south by 30m and was the final area to be resolved on the site. Excavations commenced here in December 2007 and were completed on 29 April 2008. During December 2007 a polished Neolithic stone axe head, a granite font and a carved limestone block that appeared to be ecclesiastical in origin were recovered. A medieval bone dice was also found.
Excavations in 2008 produced evidence for further limited prehistoric activity in the form of a shallow pit containing a handmade clay pot. This vessel contained cremated bone and black soil. A preliminary Late Bronze Age date is suggested but this is awaiting specialist analysis of both the pot and the bone contained within.
Further activity proved to be medieval in date. At the extreme north of the site a 12m-long portion of a ditch, running east–west, was excavated. It was 2.11–3.1m wide and up to 1.76m deep. This may have been part of a bailey ditch and appeared to represent the northern extent of activity associated with the site. Within the area south of the ditch a series of large refuse and storage pits were excavated. Post-holes, stake-holes, hearths, linear features and a figure-of-eight kiln were also uncovered. Five human burials were also excavated from this area (to add to the c. 1600 excavated from the adjacent burial-ground to the south from previous phases of works). These were unusual, as they were buried outside the area of the graveyard, which was clearly defined by a boundary ditch to the south. They were also unusual in that three were buried within one shallow cut and two within another shallow cut. All five consisted of extended, supine adult inhumations with heads to the west. Within the fill of one of the grave-cuts an iron arrowhead was found. In addition, several thousand sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from this part of the site. When added to the medieval pottery from previous phases of works, the total assemblage exceeded 15,000 sherds.
A previously excavated corn-drying kiln was also dismantled prior to road construction commencing. Initially it was proposed to leave the kiln in situ, with the understanding that it would not be disturbed by any road works. However, once the road design was finalised it became clear that the kiln was located in an area of cut, and not fill as was originally envisaged. The kiln was dismantled by hand with a photographic record being kept as each course of stone was removed. Once emptied of stone the cut for the kiln was photographed, planned and recorded.
Finally, the route of a proposed outflow pipe, which runs from the extreme south of the site in a south-west direction towards the River Barrow, was topsoil-stripped. This was c. 275m in length and was previously tested in 2007. Findings from the topsoil-stripping produced evidence of a possible medieval ditch. However, as the trench for the pipe was only 1.9m wide, this was difficult to prove. Other features included post-medieval ditch features, and a field boundary and trackway, probably related to an adjacent farmhouse. Modern features included a field boundary and several field drains.