County: Wexford Site name: Toom 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004281
Author: Yvonne Whitty, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Displaced burnt-stone spread and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 700809m, N 642323m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.522939, -6.514461
Toom 3 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was located in a flat field which slopes slightly down to the south towards low-lying boggy ground close to a water course. Excavations revealed evidence of burnt-stone-spread deposits with associated features.
The main burnt-stone spread was a horseshoe-shaped deposit which covered an area measuring 6.3m by 4.5m, and reached a maximum depth of 0.26m. The spread consisted of moderately compact, dark-brown/grey silt clay which contained frequent heat-shattered stones and charcoal. Beneath the burnt-stone spread were a trough, a gully, a cluster of stake-holes, two pits and a post-hole.
An oval-shaped trough, which measured 2m by 1.2m and was 0.4m deep, was identified beneath the burnt spread, north of a possible palaeochannel. The trough had sloping sides and a flat base and contained a single fill of moderately compact black silt sand with frequent angular heat-affected sandstone inclusions. A north–south-aligned gully was approximately 1.4m long, 0.9m wide and 0.2m deep, and was connected to the southern end of the trough. The gully had a U-shaped profile and may have drained water away into the palaeochannel.
A cluster of 23 stake-holes formed a double east to west alignment covering an area measuring 1.8m by 1.7m. These stake-holes were located north of the main area of activity and may mark the location of a temporary structure or windbreak, possibly associated with the trough.
Two pits and a post-hole which were filled with burnt-spread material were located approximately 3m to the north of the trough.
