2017:738 - PICKARDSTOWN: Dublin Airport North Runway Project Site I, Dublin

Archaeological excavation at Site I located within the proposed development area of the North Runway Project at Dublin Airport in the townland of Pickardstown was carried out between 26 January and 10 February 2017.

The archaeological site was identified during advance archaeological investigations which included non-invasive geophysical survey by Target Geophysics (16R0097)and archaeological test-trenching (16E0335) by Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy.

Site I was subsequently excavated in February 2017. Topsoil stripping of an area measuring 80m (east-west) by 50m exposed two distinct areas of activity: Areas 1 and 2. Area 1 was located in the north-west of the cutting and measured 34m by 22m and Area 2 was a smaller area 24m south-east of Area 1 and measured 9m east-west by 13m. Three distinct phases of activity were identified on Site I—prehistoric, early medieval and post-medieval activity.The features identified in Area 1 consisted of four gullys (F14, F16, F27, F34), three pits (F17, F19, F23), a metalled surface (F29), a possible stake-hole (F33) and three drains (F15, F22, F30). The drains, gullys and metalled surface would appear to represent the latest phase of activity on Site I. The metalled surface contained tiny fragments of brick and metal and the linear gullys appeared to extend outwards from this surface. A sherd of post medieval pottery (17E0054:28:1) was recovered from the fill in the linear gully F34 and two pieces of corroded iron were recovered from the linear gully F27 (17E0054:26:1-2). Small fragments of animal bone were also recovered from F27. It is possible these features were associated with and contemporary to activities carried out at the nearby Pickardstown House (located immediately north of Site I).

The three pits (in the north-west corner of Area 1) were dated to the early medieval period. A radiocarbon date was obtained from charcoal (hazel) recovered from the fill of pit F17 and it was dated to the 7th/8th century AD. Small fragments of animal bone were recovered from all three pits. The date recovered from this pit proved to be largely contemporary with dates recovered from a ditch (F13) from the settlement site at Site B (dated to the 7th-9th century AD) which was located north-west of Site I. The function of these pits was not clear.

The features identified in Area 2 consisted of two burnt stone spreads (F3, F8) and an associated trough (F13). The burnt stone spread represented the heavily truncated remains of a fulacht fiadh (an ancient cooking site). Insufficient charcoal was recovered from this spread and radiocarbon dating was therefore not possible. It was most likely prehistoric in date and the majority of these sites are typically dated (although exceptions do occur) to the Bronze Age.

Site I therefore represented the remains of a small multi-period site that was indicative of occupation and settlement at various intervals including the prehistoric period (most likely the Bronze Age), the 7th-8th century AD and the post-medieval period.

The archaeological investigations carried out along this scheme would suggest a predominance of early medieval activity within the surrounding landscape. Radiocarbon dates obtained from various sites throughout the scheme would confirm the continued presence of a substantial community within the general vicinity of Site I dated from the 5th–12th century AD. Site I likely represented the remains of various agricultural activities associated with the large enclosure sites identified within this scheme at Site A and Site B.