2020:465 - Scribblestown, Dublin

The phase 2 testing took place on 24 July 2020. The northern section of the works had already been severely disturbed in the past by services, mainly water, but also gas and electricity, in addition to which the proposed works in this section did not amount to a significant level of ground disturbance consisting largely of re-landscaping and kerb replacement.
The main area of potential disturbance was at the southern end of the development area where it was proposed to construct a services compound for sewage pumping, ESB and Eircom. The footprint of the compound was to extend to an area roughly 20m east-west by 15m. Once again evidence from the main service providers indicated that the area had been badly disturbed in the past, by water, gas, electricity and telecommunication lines.
Testing took the form of two machine-dug test trenches spaced some 10m apart and each aligned roughly east-west on the long axis of the proposed service compound. Trench 1 was some 18m in length and 1.5m wide, the disturbed topsoil was on average 0.8m deep and overlay a stony yellow brown loam clay subsoil. About 10m from the west end of the trench a 1.5m wide linear feature was noted running north-south across the line of the trench; investigation of this proved it to be the line of a service trench. Nothing else of archaeological significance was noted in this trench.
Trench 2 was located some 10m to the north of and ran parallel to Trench 1. It measured some 32m in length and was also 1.5m in width. Topsoil was on average 0.6m in depth with subsoil consisting of a stony orange brown loam clay. Three north-south running linear features were noted in this trench, the first at the extreme west end of the trench, the second some 10m from the west end and the third 3m from the east end. All proved on investigation to be modern service lines, with the middle of the three noted in this trench, lining up with that uncovered in Trench 1. Nothing else of archaeological significance was noted in this trench.
Finally at the north end of the area, the line of ESB ducting was monitored. This consisted of a 0.5m wide and 0.8m deep trench, excavated from the position of a new ESB pole, 10m east to the line of the existing footpath. Made ground, consisting of dark grey brown stony clay loam with red brick inclusions, came down onto yellow brown compact stony loam clay.
Nothing of archaeological interest was uncovered in the course of this phase of testing.

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