2018:314 - Portmarnock & Maynetown, Dublin

Excavation relating to Phase 1B of a residential development followed a series of archaeological investigations including testing, geophysical survey and excavation carried out between 2000-2008 and 2016-2017. The site is located in Portmarnock and Maynetown townlands, Co. Dublin, immediately south of Station Road and east of the Dublin-Belfast Railway Line. The area targeted for excavation (Area 5a) came to light in 2016 during monitoring for an attenuation pond associated with the previous phase of development (Phase 1A) and appeared to be an easterly continuation of the late medieval village excavated by Moriarty in 2008 (08E0376). At that time the remains were covered with terram and the topsoil re-instated pending further information on the development plans for that area. Further testing carried out in May 2018 to the west and south of the 2008 excavation area identified further features thought to represent a westerly continuation of this activity (Area 5b).

The excavation took place over 13 weeks from 2 May – 27 July 2018 with a team of up to 15 archaeologists. Monitoring of the remainder of the development area, including a wetlands area adjacent to the coast road and associated foreshore outfall works, followed the excavation and was completed on 26 November 2018.

In Area 5a the archaeological remains comprised north-south running linear ditches and intermittent east–west running ditches broadly consistent with the pattern of ditches identified in the previous excavation area and related to boundary divisions and drainage. Other features included an area of metalling suggestive of a yard area and three well pits. Remnants of a stone structure in the south of the site was defined by an L-shaped foundation and it contained a keyhole-shaped feature within the wall, likely to represent an oven. Charred wheat from the structure returned a date range of 1275-1386 cal AD and charred barley from a ditch deposit returned a date range of 1420-1454 cal AD.

In Area 5b three early modern north-south linear ditches were identified along with a number of smaller linear features, gullies and pits which may have been related to the previously excavated later medieval settlement.

A burnt mound trough was excavated in Area 5c to the east in Maynetown townland and was initially identified as a geophysical anomaly and verified by test excavation in 2004 (Phelan 2004, licence Ref. 04E1415). Full excavation did not reveal any further trace of burnt mound activity and a sample of hazel from the trough returned an Early Bronze Age date (2135-1920 cal BC).

The majority of finds from the site were recovered from Area 5a and comprised frequent sherds of medieval pottery, mostly Dublin-type and Leinster Cooking Ware and moderate quantities of animal bone. A large number of plough pebbles (72 in total) were also recovered from the site, the majority from Area 5a.

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