County: Dublin Site name: Coldwinters
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU014-015 - Classified as a ring-ditch Licence number: 17E0436
Author: Derek Gallagher, Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit
Site type: Circular slot-trench and cereal-drying kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 711891m, N 741564m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.412328, -6.316951
Archaeological test trenching and excavation was undertaken at a site at Coldwinters, Co. Dublin.
The first phase of licensed test trenching was carried out by Jon Stirland of Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit (ACSU), on 5-9 October 2017. As part of this assessment 10 archaeological test trenches were excavated within the site boundary of the proposed development. During the test trenching, within Trenches 2 and 8 the presence of recorded monument DU014-015 was identified in the form of a circular slot-trench measuring 10m in diameter with an average depth of between 0.27-0.3m. This feature likely represented a circular slot-trench associated with a possible dwelling/round house. 37.32m to the east of the circular slot-trench, also within Trench 2, was a cereal-drying kiln, measuring 3.2m in length, 1.3m maximum width, with a depth of 0.45m in the north bowl and 0.3m in the south bowl. Both features were highly truncated by agricultural activity in the past. No further archaeological features or deposits of an archaeological nature were recorded within the other test trenches.
Both features were fully excavated by hand in November of 2018. A small fragment of blue glass was recovered from the circular slot trench, and a small flint thumbnail scraper was found within the cereal-drying kiln. Samples were retrieved and processed, with a charcoal sample from the cereal-drying kiln returning a date of Cal 1050-1270AD.
The circular feature and the cereal-drying kiln appeared disturbed by agricultural activity in the past. Both were cut into the natural boulder clay with no surface expression. All archaeological features identified were excavated, paleoenvironmental samples were retrieved and the features recorded. During this time, the south part of the site was not available for monitoring. As a result, the licence was transferred to Derek Gallagher in May 2021, with the remainder of the site monitored in October 2021.
Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
