County: Dublin Site name: Kilgobbin Road, Stepaside
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 22E0187
Author: Maeve McCormick
Site type: Linear ditches and a single skeleton
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 719234m, N 724813m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.260254, -6.212859
The works took place on a site at Kilgobbin Road, Stepaside, Co. Dublin. This license covered the monitoring of the Geotechnical Site Investigation (SI) works and subsequent test excavations as agreed with the National Museum and DHLGH.
Following the discovery of human remains during Geotechnical Site Investigation works in Feb 2022 it was recommended by both the NMI and the NMS that all further groundwork must be carried out under licenced archaeological supervision and that a new Geophysical Survey be undertaken.
The Geophysical Survey was undertaken on 21 March 2022 under Licence No 22R0076. The survey did not register any trends that could be definitively archaeological in nature.
Site Investigation work recommenced on 28 March 2022 under constant archaeological supervision. Areas of disturbance suggesting archaeological features were uncovered in two areas towards the centre of the site. Three test areas were excavated on 11-14 April 2022 with an amended method statement.
Trench 1 contained two ditches and a single skeleton. A large linear ditch (C3) in the centre of the trench contained the human remains discovered during SI works. The skeleton was recovered from the western edge of this ditch within the basal fill (C4). The remains were that of an adult, possible female, in a supine position, orientated south-north with head to south. Osteoarchaeological analysis of this individual showed them to have suffered from severe dental issues, rheumatoid arthritis and a possible brain tumour. The basal fill also contained animal bone and medieval and post-medieval pottery. A second archaeological ditch (C25) aligned north-west/south-east was located to the east of the trench.
Trench 2 contained 7 linear features (Linear features C6, C8, C10 & C11 and Furrows C12, C13 and C14)
Trench 3 contained 4 wide ditches; C15, C16, C17 & C19 towards the north of the trench along with 6 furrows; C18, C20, C21, C22, C23 & C24 concentrated towards the south of the trench.
Metal detection was carried out alongside the excavation works under Licence No 22R0107. Nothing of archaeological significance was recovered during metal detection.
Previous archaeological work carried out within the proposed development site includes monitoring (Licence No. 02E0906), a geophysical survey (Licence No. 02R079), archaeological excavation along the northern side of the site in 2002-3 (Licence No. 02E1173 ext.) and archaeological testing in 2005 (Licence No. 05E0322) and again in 2018 (Licence No 18E0275).
Archer Heritage Planning, 8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
