2011:236 - TALLAGHT, Dublin

Topsoil-stripping and excavation of features was undertaken at the site of the proposed Third Level Bundle Two, Institute of Technology Tallaght Site, Tallaght, Dublin 24. The development site lies within the Institute of Technology Tallaght grounds and is partially located within the Zone of Archaeological Potential for Tallaght (DU021-037/DU022-018).
The archaeological features excavated were two ditches, five linear features, a curvilinear ditch, three deposits and a gully (medieval), and a post-medieval field boundary ditch, drains and furrow scars.
A large north-west/south-east-aligned ditch (Ditch 1) dominated the excavation. The total length of the ditch excavated was 31.56m and it was up to 3.2m wide and 0.86m at its deepest, with a wide concave profile. The ditch was infilled with five layers of deposits; some of the lower fills were only present in the deeper sections. Pottery and animal bone were found in the majority of the deposits; a single copper-alloy pin was also retrieved. The ditch had an almost flat ‘entrance’ that measured 3.41m wide, 4.07m long and 0.29m deep. The lowest fill of the entrance was a stone deposit which was also seen outside the cut of the ditch. This could indicate metalling of the surface to form a causeway across the ditch.
Almost parallel to Ditch 1 was Ditch 2. Ditch 2 was approximately 20.48m long, 1.79m wide and 0.3m deep. It cut the stony layer seen outside the cut of Ditch 1. No real terminus of Ditch 2 was seen within the excavation area, as it appeared to fade away and became very shallow. The single fill of Ditch 2 was dark brown silty clay with a high proportion of small stones. Finds from the deposit were animal bone and pottery.
Linear feature 3 ran north-west to south-east and was 9.63m long, 0.86m at its widest point and 0.17–0.24m deep. It was filled with a single deposit of brown clayey silt containing pottery and bone.
Ditch 22 curved from the southern edge of the excavation toward the north-east for a length of 13.34m before it was disturbed by root action. It was cut by a secondary feature (40), a post-medieval drain, and a modern trench filled with brick and stone. The main fill of the ditch was well-compacted dark greyish-brown silty clay that contained animal bone and pottery.
Linear feature 40 cut into the top of curvilinear Ditch 22. It had concave sides and a slightly curved base, 0.7m wide and 0.2m deep. The cut was recorded for a length of 4.6m. The single fill of Feature 40 was similar to that of the main fill of Ditch 22. The dark greyish-brown silty clay had frequent small stones and produced pottery and a conical metal item near the topsoil horizon.
Linear feature 24 was located at the western edge of the site. It was aligned north-east to south-west; 4.4m of the feature was recorded within the excavation area and it was 0.96m wide. It had gently sloping sides but an irregular base (owing to root disturbance) and was fairly shallow (0.2m deep). The single fill was brownish-grey silty clay with frequent stones, pottery and occasional charcoal.
Linear feature 17 ran south-west to north-east and was 17.15m long, 1.3m wide and 0.4m deep. It cut the top of Ditch 1 and was later cut by a furrow. It contained two fills. The main fill was mid-brownish-grey clayey silt containing frequent stones and very occasional charcoal flecks and pottery. The basal fill was orange-brown silty clay with occasional stone that represents natural silting in the cut.
Feature 26, running north-east/south-west, had gentle sloping sides and a flat base; it was 0.8m wide and 0.25m deep. It cut into the north-eastern side of Ditch 2 but the cut was not seen at the other side of Ditch 2. Feature 26 was recorded to a length of 4.2m but may have originally been longer. Its single fill was mid-brown silty clay containing frequent small stones, very similar to that of Ditch 2.
Deposits 56 and 83 (recorded as Group 18) abutted the north-eastern edge of Ditch 1 at the southern edge of excavation. Deposit 56 measured 5.5m by 4.5m and was 0.19m deep. The dark grey to blackish sandy silt deposit was rich in charcoal and contained a high quantity of pottery. Metal finds, including a possible copper-alloy pin, and a stone loom-weight were also retrieved from the deposit. Deposit 83 was recorded as a patch of redeposited orange-brown silty clay within Deposit 56. It measured 1m by 0.7m by 0.07m deep.
Deposit 97 was located at the western edge of the excavation. It was moderately compact greyish-brown clayey silt with occasional stone inclusions that measured 2.2m by 1.8m and was 0.2m deep. A lens of loose blackish-brown deposit with frequent charcoal inclusions and some burnt bone was contained within Deposit 97. The lens measured 0.65m by 0.3m by 0.15m deep.
Deposit 154 was composed of greyish-brown silty clay with occasional charcoal and contained some pottery. All the above deposits could be described as domestic refuse deposits.
Gully 25 ran north-west/south-east and was cut by a post-medieval boundary ditch. This feature was recorded for a length of 49m and appeared to peter out at the south-east, where it became imperceptible. The gully was 1.18m wide and was seen to be 0.2m deep, with a gentle break of slope and virtually flat base. It had a single fill of compact brownish-grey clay that contained pottery.
Boundary Ditch 12 ran north-east/south-west along the northern edge of the site. It was truncated by a stone-lined drain (27), which was almost centrally placed within the ditch. These two features were 45.7m long within the excavated area and extended to the north-east outside the site. The ditch did not appear to the south-west, presumably because this area had been disturbed by many modern activities. Ditch 12 had gently sloping sides with a flat base and contained two fills. The primary sterile fill of the ditch was mid-greyish-blue clay with iron-pan flecking. The upper fill of the ditch was dark reddish-brown, well-compacted silty clay, 2.1m wide and 0.4m thick, and contained animal bone, metal and medieval and post-medieval pottery. Drain 27 had a steep vertical cut lined with stones. A dark brown sandy silt deposit filled the drain between the stones and contained a single piece of post-medieval pottery.
Six other drains were recorded across the site; half were stone-lined, the others containing orange clay piping. Furrow scars were also recorded.
The archaeological features have been dated to the medieval period through the numerous pottery finds. The pottery assemblage contains examples of Leinster cooking ware and Dublin-type ware typical of the high medieval period (13th to 14th centuries). The charcoal remains showed the exploitation of a mainly Salix/poplar, ash and hazel woodland, with a little use of scrub. The plant macrofossils showed the exploitation of cereal remains in the form of wheat, barley and oats. Peas were also present within the samples.
The quantity of pottery and animal bone recorded and the presence of cereal remains indicate a strong domestic presence close to the site. Indeed, the site lies approximately 300m north of St Mary’s Priory, where once stood an archbishop’s palace dating from the 14th century. There is no doubt that this site has uncovered a small corner of what would have been the archbishop’s estate.
Interestingly, a small lithic assemblage was also uncovered, dating from the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age. The artefacts represent household and knapping waste that were probably associated with a nearby house, all traces of which have been obliterated by later activities.

TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare