2017:313 - Monroe 6, Wexford

Monroe 6 was identified as a result of testing during the construction stage of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy PPP Scheme. Testing was carried out within a permanent fill area (PFA 7) under Excavation Registration Number E004893 and Ministerial Direction A054. The investigations at Monroe 6 revealed three areas of archaeological potential.

Archaeological Area 1 comprised a charcoal clamp and a pit. The charcoal clamp, with its distinctive oxidised base and charcoal lining, measured 1.36m x 0.77m but was quite shallow at only 0.11m deep. It was located 24m east-north-east of a similar small, shallow pit with evidence of in-situ burning which measured 1.22m x 0.85m and only 0.1m deep. Three non-archaeological features containing deposits of possible peat ash were also recorded within this area.

Archaeological Area 2 was located along the western bank of a former small watercourse, depicted on the first and second edition OS maps, running into the Monroe Tributary to the south-west. Significant drainage works have since taken place on site but the former course of this channel is still visible in aerial photography of the site (1995-2005). The remains of a burnt mound were identified, which contained eight pits and a short linear feature. The pits represented possibly three phases of activity which was mirrored in the build-up of burnt mound material which consisted of numerous phased small and localised deposits rather than one homogenous layer. It is unclear whether the pits functioned as small troughs or as pot-boiler pits or had another function. The sub-rectangular pits seem the most likely to have functioned as small troughs. Most of the pits were shallow and small in diameter and not clearly indicative of troughs. All eight pits were recorded as sub-oval to sub-rectangular and all contained deposits of burnt- and heat-shattered stone and charcoal-rich sediments. The linear feature was filled with a silty clay deposit possibly related to later drainage although the function is unclear. Some of the early phase deposits may have represented upcast material from digging of the primary pits.

The primary phase of pits, cut through the natural subsoil, was represented by two sub-rectangular pits, the first (1.2m x 1.1m x 0.3m) was along the former bank of the possible watercourse and the second (1.55m x 0.7m x 0.5m) was north of this. The primary burnt mound deposits comprised six deposits and either overlay the natural subsoil or the primary pits and/or were cut by later pits.

The secondary phase of pits consisted of four pits, sub-circular to sub-oval in shape, ranging in size from 0.8m x 0.58m x 0.47m (as the smallest) to 1.44m x 1.34m x 0.6m (at the biggest) and a fifth sub-rectangular pit (0.93m x 0.48m x 0.25m). These pits may have been directly associated with the secondary phase of burnt mound deposits, which overlay the primary pits or the secondary pits and/or were cut by later features. These deposits were quartz-rich.

The third phase of pits consisted of a sub-oval pit (0.7m x 0.6m x 0.25m) and a linear feature (2.6m x 0.73m x 0.4m) which cut through the pits associated with the secondary phase of activity. The third phase of burnt mound deposition overlay secondary phase burnt mound deposits and was cut by modern drainage features.

A sub-rectangular trough (2.45m x 1.8m x 0.2m) with evidence of wood lining on its base was recorded to the west of the mound. A narrow channel extended from the north-east corner of the trough cutting the burnt mound layers, suggesting it was chronologically later than most of the pits and the burnt mound deposits. Five stake-holes identified adjacent the south-east corner of the trough may represent a small windbreak or similar light structure.

All phases of the burnt mound and the trough were cut by modern drainage features. South of the burnt mound was the remains of a sub-circular pit with three deposits, re-cut by a sub-circular pit with a single deposit. The re-cut was the only feature within AA 2 not containing deposits obviously related to burnt mound activity. On the south edge of AA 2 was the remains of a sub-circular pit (0.85m x 0.8m x 0.3m) filled with a single context of burnt mound material and the remains of a large sub-circular pit (2.05m x 1.62m x 0.3m) cut by three stake-holes and three successive pits. The stake-holes were the primary features to cut the pit, followed by a shallow rounded re-cut (0.8m x 0.5m x 0.09m). These early features were sealed beneath the remains of a patchy layer of brushwood and a further five deposits before being cut away to the west by a sub-rectangular pit (1.4m x 0.7m x 0.24m) with four deposits and a finally a sub-circular pit (1.1m x 1m x 0.28m).

Archaeological Area 3 was an area (11.5m x 11.5m) opened during excavation around the find-spot of a piece of medieval pottery. The area contained three linear drainage features and a post-hole. Two of the three drainage features were noted during test trenching, both filled with sandy deposits and reaching a maximum depth of 0.45m. The third drain cut these field drains, perpendicular to their north-west/south-east orientation and was filled with sub-rounded large stone. A single post-hole, possibly representing the location of a fence post, was noted between the two parallel running drainage features.

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