County: Wexford Site name: Dunsinane 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004170
Author: Derek Gallagher, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Two circular Bronze Age houses, multiple pits and post-holes
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 693490m, N 639294m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.497033, -6.623137
Dunsinane 2 site was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site lay in a crop field with 0.5m of topsoil. Two circular structures and a field boundary ditch were recorded.
Structure 1
This circular structure measured approximately 8m east–west by 7.5m and was constructed using a double row of approximately 111 stake-holes. The two rows were 0.4–0.5m apart, with the stake-holes measuring 0.06–0.1m in diameter and 0.04–0.25m deep. An entrance was recorded on the eastern side of the structure delineated by two parallel rows of post-holes, 1.75m in length and 1m apart. A central post-hole used for roof support measured 0.36m x 0.33m x 0.3m. The fills of the post-hole suggest that the central post had been burnt down, unlike the other posts and stakes, which had been pulled up and reused. It is possible that the post was just too deep to have been removed or had been ritually burnt as a symbolic abandonment of the site. Two small slot-trenches were recorded indicating a degree of subdivision within the interior of the structure. They were orientated north–south and measured 0.98m x 0.18m x 0.07m and 0.79m x 0.18m x 0.19m. In the north-west of the structure was a hearth that measured 0.75m x 0.8m x 0.1m; beneath the hearth was an earlier phase indicated by a number of stake- and post-holes. A sub-oval refuse pit was located north-east exterior to the structure. It measured 2.58m x 0.86m x 0.37m and contained a saddle quern and rubbing stone.
Approximately 1m to the south of the structure was an east–west-orientated line of nineteen stake-holes with an additional seven stake-holes in close proximity. These features possibly represent a screen or windbreak adjacent to the structure.
Structure 2
This structure was located north-north-west of Structure 1 and consisted of a semicircular arc of stake-holes running from south-west to north-east with a series of additional stake- and post-holes located to the south-east and south. The arc of 26 stake-holes measured approximately 9m south-west to north-east with each stake-hole 0.5m apart. The stake-holes were 0.08m in diameter and 0.07–0.19m deep. A line of seven stake-holes was evident on the eastern sides, orientated north-east/south-west, while there were clusters of stake-holes within the centre of the structure and on its southern perimeter. Nine post-holes were recorded on the southern and eastern perimeter of the structure with a possible entrance in the south-east. The entrance was marked by two large circular post-holes that measured 0.52m x 0.48m x 0.35m and 0.64m x 0.61m x 0.34m. Seven post-holes were recorded within the centre of the structure, which, in association with the internal stake-holes, possibly acted as roof supports. An irregular shallow spread of dark-brown sandy clay with occasional angular stones and charcoal was identified within the centre of the structure. It measured 0.97m by 0.83m and was 0.03m thick.
Ditch
A field boundary ditch was orientated south-west to north-east.
Finds
Finds recorded from site included flint, prehistoric pottery and a possible spindle whorl.
