County: Dublin Site name: 43-53 Montpelier Hill D7
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU018-020 Licence number: 17E0419
Author: David McIlreavy, IAC
Site type: Post-medieval pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 713753m, N 734556m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.348978, -6.291479
A post-planning programme of test trenching was carried out 43-53 Montpelier Hill, Dublin 7 by David McIlreavy and Paul Duffy of IAC Ltd, under licence 17E0419. It follows a previous desktop report carried out by Faith Bailey of IAC Ltd in August 2016. While archaeological monitoring was conditioned to the development(Planning Ref.: 3772/16), the developer engaged IAC to carry out a programme of testing in order to identify any features that may exist within the site and assess the level of disturbance across the site.
A total of four trenches were excavated within the development area. Generally
overburden was found to have a depth that varied between 0.6m and 1.25m. One
post medieval pit was identified in Trench 4 (C6), which consisted of a steep sided pit, possible midden pit. The artefactual evidence recovered from this feature suggests an 18th century date of use. Nothing of archaeological significance was identified during testing. However, it is possible that previously unrecorded archaeological features survive within the development area, outside of the footprint of the test trenches.
The proposed development area will be constructed with piled foundations and
include the excavation of two small basements and associated services. Ground
disturbances may have an adverse impact on previously unrecorded archaeological
feature or deposits that have the potential to survive beneath the current ground
level. As such it is recommended that all excavation within the proposed development should be monitored by a suitably qualified archaeologist.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Wicklow
