County: Dublin Site name: FOSTERSTOWN SOUTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0466
Author: James Hession, c/o Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Burnt mound, bivallate enclosure, archaeological complex
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 717007m, N 744791m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.440205, -6.238827
Testing as part of the advance works on the proposed route of the Metro North light rail project was carried out on behalf of the Railway Procurement Agency. For the purposes of these works the Metro North route was subdivided into fourteen testing areas. Testing Area 8 was located in Fosterstown South townland, Co. Dublin, on the footprint of the Metro North alignment and Construction Compound 5, Pinnock Hill Viaduct.
Testing of Area 8 was carried out on 1–2 October 2009. A total of 38 test-trenches were excavated in two fields and three areas of archaeological potential were identified.
Fosterstown South 1
Fosterstown South 1 comprised a deposit of black silty clay measuring 3m by 5m and 0.2m deep, with inclusions of burnt and fire-cracked stone indicative of a prehistoric burnt mound.
Fosterstown South 2
Geophysical survey had indicated the presence of one or more enclosures in this area. Testing identified an archaeological complex comprised of a double-ditched or bivallate enclosure with an additional enclosing ditch situated to the south. The bivallate enclosure consisted of an inner enclosure with an external diameter of 30m east–west. The second enclosure was characterised by a ditch with an external diameter of 50m north-north-west/southsouth-east. The additional enclosing ditch measured 30m in diameter. Numerous cut features were identified within and around these enclosures.
Fosterstown South 3
A possible D-shaped enclosure identified by the geophysical survey was confirmed by the testing to be enclosing an area measuring at least 30m in diameter. An additional enclosure was identified 20m to the north-east, possibly enclosing an area measuring 50m in diameter. Furthermore, a figure-of-eight-shaped corn-drying kiln was identified directly north of a ditch feature which may have had a relationship with either enclosure.
