County: Dublin Site name: Trinity College, Dublin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0615
Author: Judith Carroll, Judith Carroll and Company
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 716436m, N 733991m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.343319, -6.251410
Archaeological monitoring took place between 02 February 2021 and 08 July 2021 during Phase 2 of the development of the site of the former science buildings in Trinity College, Dublin as the E3 Learning Foundry.
Monitoring on site for the E3 Learning Foundry during 2019 and 2020 has been described in the Excavations bulletins for those years and recommenced on 02 February 2021 as initial opening of ground, a trench 4.5m north-south x 3m, took place in front of the Zoology building. This was dug to a level of 3.5m. Close to the surface, a cobble stone layer was found at a level of 0.15m to approximately 0.35m below present ground level.
At a level of 1.1m, the top of a layer of decayed red brick was found, probably indicating the remains of a former structure. This extended from approximately 1.1.m to 1.4m in depth below present ground level. However, there was no form to the brick spread and it can only be concluded that a wall or building was probably demolished nearby prior to the building of the Zoology Dept. The trench also revealed that undisturbed boulder clay and natural silt was approximately 2m below present ground level in this area. Monitoring took place periodically when digging took place between 02 February 2021 and 24 May 2021.
While work continued through early 2021 on the sump area, subsurface works recommenced in the main area of the E3 development in late June 2021. Work on a manhole on the newly upgraded drainage line revealed an extension of an east-west wall found during works for Phase 2 in December 2020.
As the contractors commenced digging in the south-west corner of the new pile line on 24 June, they unearthed human bone at about 0.6-0.8m underneath the concrete floor of the demolished modern anatomy building. The remains were found under the concrete base of buildings. They were disarticulated and were not in situ.
The human remains comprised 29 items, mainly consisting of upper and lower limbs. They were from different individuals and were consistent with remains discarded having been used for practice in the anatomy building. One femur showed evidence of having been neatly sawn, most probably for dissection. It appeared likely that they were of 18th-19th-century date. Further investigation was to take place on the site. Monitoring of works for the E3 Learning Foundry development continued until 08 July 2021.
Ballybrack Road, Glencullen, Dublin 18
