County: Dublin Site name: Kinsaley and Broomfield townlands, Malahide
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 14E0162
Author: Dermot Nelis
Site type: Possible enclosure and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 722150m, N 744800m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.439120, -6.161466
A pre-test trenching geophysical survey (Licence 14R0038) was carried out by Joanna Leigh to locate and identify any potential archaeological responses within the development area. A pre-test trenching surface artefact collection survey was also carried out within all areas of land take.
The geophysical survey revealed the remains of a possible plough-damaged enclosure in the eastern end of the development area. The feature extended beyond the limit of land take to the east, and as a result an additional area measuring approximately 60m x 60m was surveyed. The additional geophysical survey revealed possible sub-surface remains measuring, in total, approximately 26m north/south x 26m, with a possible gap in the south-east corner. The full extent of the possible enclosure located within the area of land take measured approximately 12m north-west/south-east. The possible enclosure was not recorded by the geophysical survey in the main area of land take, i.e. west of a north-south field boundary. This feature is interpreted as the ploughed-out remains of an enclosure.
The surface artefact collection survey was carried out in advance of test trenching and was cognisant of the results of the geophysical survey. A number of flint flakes and debris were recovered, with higher frequencies of lithic material revealed in the north-west corner of the development area.
The excavation of 13 test trenches throughout the proposed development area revealed four features of archaeological significance. An east-west oriented feature measured 1.5m north-south x 0.3m deep maximum and extended beyond the trench to the east and west. A 0.38m north-south x 0.35m x 80mm deep feature was revealed directly under topsoil as a charcoal surface. This feature was fully excavated. A sub-circular burnt pit measured 0.98m east-west x 0.85m x 0.25m deep. It was revealed in the test trench as an obvious burnt feature with small amounts of animal bone on the surface. The possible enclosure ditch revealed in the geophysical survey was noted at the eastern end of the development area. It measured 1.75m wide north-south and extended beyond the trench to both the east and west. A 0.4m-wide hand-dug section revealed it to have a maximum depth of 0.6m.
No artefacts or environmental evidence were revealed as a result of carrying out the test trenching exercise.
It was recommended that the possible enclosure ditch at the eastern end of the development area be preserved in situ. Archaeological features were also revealed outside the location of the possible enclosure, and it was recommended that these features be fully excavated and recorded during the monitoring stage.
36 Fingal Street, Dublin 8
