2018:725 - Sites 1 - 2 Littleconnell, Newbridge, Kildare

Archaeological excavation was carried out on the site of a proposed link road in Littleconnell and Clownings townlands, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Planning application 17/563). The site contains the sub-surface remains of KD023-123, a field system and enclosures originally identified through aerial photography. The crop marks identified are extensive, covering an area of c.570m north-north-east/south-south-west by c.415m, possibly representing the ploughed-out remains of a medieval landscape comprising a field system containing a multi-vallate ringfort enclosing a smaller enclosure with crop-marks of possible souterrains, a second, bivallate enclosure and possible roadway. Also,
a geophysical survey carried out by Target Archaeological Geophysics identified a number of possible fulachtaí fiadh, possible field systems and a large multivallate enclosure and other internal enclosures which appear to represent a significant early medieval landscape. The excavation was undertaken on behalf of Lidl Ireland GmbH and was carried out between August and October 2018 by Ian Russell and Derek Gallagher of Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit (ACSU).

Two archaeological sites were excavated. Site 1 represented a causeway between two enclosures identified in the geophysical survey consisting of two parallel ditches (C03 and C04) and Site 2 was a series of burnt stone pits associated with a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh.

Site 1
A causeway consisting of two parallel ditches (C03 & C04), located between two enclosures and identified in geophysics, was further recorded on both aerial photography and excavation. The northern ditch (C03) had a maximum width of c.3.3m and a depth of c.1.6m. The southern ditch (C04) had a maximum width of c.3m and a depth of c.1.5m. A charcoal sample identified as 0.04g of holly from the basal fill (C11) of the northern ditch (C03) returned a radiocarbon date of 1660+/-40 BP, calibrated 550-250 BC, indicating the ditch was of Iron Age construction. Four other features that predated the ditch C03 were also recorded. A fire pit/kiln, C26 which was cut by northern ditch C03 was excavated. A charcoal sample identified as 0.04g of hazel from a charcoal deposit (C29) within this fire pit returned a radiocarbon date of 3580+/-40 BP, calibrated 2050-1750BC, indicating the feature was of Bronze Age date. A curvilinear ditch, C35, seen in plan as C-shaped, was possibly structural. This feature also contained dateable material. Charcoal identified as 0.03g of alder from a fill (C54) within this structure returned a radiocarbon date of 3890+/-40 BP, calibrated 2500-2200 BC, indicating the feature was Early Bronze Age in date. A possible thumbnail scraper (18E0083:54:01) was also recovered from this context. It was cut by causeway ditch C03 and linear ditch C53. An L-shaped ditch, C20, was also cut by the causeway ditch C03 and could also be structural. A flint arrowhead (18E0083:21:3) and flint debitage (18E0083:21:01) were also recovered from this feature.

An analysis of archaeo-botanical remains from this site concluded that barley was the dominant cereal grain comprising 41% of the entire assemblage, while 57% of the material was too badly damaged to be identified. Weeds accounted for 2% of the total plant remains. The material recovered from this site was typical of waste material from kiln features. An analysis of the animal bone recovered revealed it was a very poorly preserved assemblage. However, species identified included sheep/goat, cattle, horse and pig.

Site 2, Burnt Stone Pits, Fulacht Fiadh
The features identified and excavated on Site 2 consist of seven circular pits (C202, C206-C209, C213 and C214) containing burnt stone. There were also two burnt stone spreads C211 and C212 and two small post-holes C229 and C231. The mound of burnt stone that would have been associated with these pits has been extensively ploughed out and is only visible as a dark staining of the topsoil. The fill of one of the truncated circular pits, C207, contained two flint finds including a piece of flint debitage (18E0083:216:01) and a flint blade (18E0083:216:02). A charcoal sample from this fill, identified as 0.15g of hazel, returned a radiocarbon date of 42600+/-40BP, calibrated 3050-2650, indicating this feature and associated burnt mound was of Neolithic date.

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