2011:195 - 5–6 HIGH STREET, Dublin

The construction of an extension on this site entailed the excavation of three trenches to accommodate drainage pipes, manholes and a lift pit. These works revealed the foundation remains of a medieval masonry wall that may have marked a boundary on the northern end of the site. The remains of a wooden fence or some other backyard structure were partially exposed at the south-western end of the site. Evidence for domestic activity was characterised by an unbroken sequence of deposits and a series of pits and deposits dating from the 12th to the 14th century. These medieval deposits were truncated by 18th-century basements at the southern end of the site and sealed by rubble fill across the rest of the site.
Trench 1was located at the centre of the site and measured 12m north–south, 1.5m wide and 1.8m deep. Unfortunately, c. 3.9m of the trench was excavated in the absence of the archaeologist, and archaeological strata were removed during the course of these works. A full record was made of the archaeological remains exposed in the section faces and the excavated spoil was thoroughly examined for finds. All remaining excavations on site were monitored and the drainage design was revised in order to avoid disturbing further archaeological remains. Where archaeological deposits were uncovered and it was not possible to raise the drainage levels in order to leave these deposits intact, they were excavated.
The basal deposits in Trench 1 were highly organic compact peaty clay and organic black silt that contained sherds of cooking ware, dating from the 12th to the 13th century. They were sealed by a series of domestic refuse deposits of silty clay with a high content of seashell, animal bone and flecks of charcoal. These were overlain by 0.4m of post-medieval deposits.
A series of small pits, 0.3–1.85m in diameter and 0.16–0.3m deep, were cut into the medieval deposits. There were also two wood-lined pits, the larger of which measured 1.8m by 1.5m and was 0.62m deep. The smaller wood-lined pit was located 3m to the north and measured 0.8m wide and 0.4m deep. Both of these pits had organic fills with a high content of charcoal, ash and burnt clay. They were cut by a large unlined refuse pit.
The remains of a rough masonry wall foundation were partially uncovered at the northern end of the site. This was constructed of randomly laid angular limestone pieces. The base of the wall was bound by compact yellow/orange silty clay with inclusions of slate and burnt clay. The top of the wall was bonded with lime mortar. The remains were 0.55m high, 0.72m long and 0.5–0.65m wide. Two lines of randomly laid stone extended for 0.4m and 0.6m from the lower levels of the eastern and northern ends of the wall foundation. These may be the remains of wall returns for a small structure associated with or abutting the wall, and an east–west row of three post-holes to the south of the wall may represent part of this structure.
The remains of another structure were represented by two small wooden stakes at the southern end of the trench.
A 19th-century wood-lined pit cut into the medieval features at the centre of the site. The pit was 1.5m by 1.7m and 0.88m deep. It was filled with cinders, cobbles, and building rubble.
Trench 2, at the south-western end of the site, measured 11m by 0.95m and was 1.5m deep. At the base of the trench was compact green/grey redeposited boulder clay and light tan/grey clay with frequent shell, charcoal and ash. Overlying these was dark brown organic peat, in which several wooden stakes were set, and a series of medieval organic silt deposits with seashell and animal bone. These deposits were up to 0.74m deep and were cut by a large cesspit that was only partially exposed in the trench. It measured at least 1.5m by 0.8m and 0.65m deep.
The wooden stakes were arranged in two staggered east–west rows that were up to 2.8m long and c. 5m apart. The stakes averaged 40mm in diameter and were made from a variety of woods. They were set between 0.06m and 0.3m apart and there were examples of chisel-, wedge- and pencil-pointed ends. There were also two small ex situ roundwoods and two horizontal pieces of split timber in this area. The stake rows were clearly part of a larger structure that was only partially exposed within the trench. They did not form a coherent structural plan, but since there was no evidence for floor levels associated with these stakes it is likely that they represent fence lines or parts of an animal pen located to the rear of the properties fronting onto the street.
A north–south wall of masonry and red brick construction was partially exposed at the south-western end of the site. The wall was 0.5m wide and was probably part of a back garden structure. It did not correspond with any of the structures shown on Rocque’s map of 1756 and may pre-date the 18th-century basement that was partially uncovered 1m to the east.
The northern walls of two basement rooms ran along the edge of the trench. They were constructed of limestone blocks and red brick bonded with mortar and had a lime mortar render. The dividing wall between the rooms was 0.29m wide and constructed of red brick. The eastern wall of Room 2 was located 2.8m to the east. It was constructed of limestone blocks, bonded with mortar. The floor slab was 1.4m below present ground level and the basement was backfilled with building rubble and ash.
Trench 3 was located at the south-eastern end of the site and measured 9m long and 0.6m deep but did not extend below the post-medieval rubble on this part of the site. The lift pit was located at the north-eastern end of the site, where it was excavated through an area of previously disturbed ground that had been filled with stone.
The dating evidence for this site is based mainly on the ceramic finds, most of which are 12th- to late 13th/14th-century in date. These included locally produced wares and imported vessels. Some level of 17th-century activity is evident from ceramic sherds present on site. Other finds included a leather disc, a needle-holder and a perforated lead disc that probably functioned as a weight. Several items, such as leather offcuts and antler pieces that can be described as craft waste, were recovered from the medieval deposits and the cesspit. There was only a small quantity of craft waste, however, and it is unlikely that it was derived from activity carried out on the site.

Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd, 2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin