County: Dublin Site name: Kingston, Kilternan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: A000082/E005376
Author: Liam Coen c/o Archer Heritage
Site type: Early medieval settlement
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 720988m, N 721967m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.234293, -6.187664
Excavation of two Archaeological Areas (AA1 and AA2) in Kingston townland, Kiltiernan, Co. Dublin, took place on 24-28 January 2022. Both were first discovered in a field to the immediate south of the Loughlinstown River during test excavations in advance of the Glenamuck District Road Scheme. The first area, closest to the River, revealed a pit and connected channel filled with frequent charcoal and burnt clay inclusions. Charcoal from the pit’s basal fill returned a radiocarbon date of 775-995 cal. 2δ AD (UBA 48149 1133 +/- 23 BP) while charcoal analysis of this fill suggested the pit may have had an alder lining. The sloping channel may have regulated water access to the pit. A rectangular pit lay nearby. The function of the features is unknown but may have been used for some food or craft process.
The second area, c. 40m to the south-west, contained several post-medieval/modern field ditches. The archaeological features comprised the remains of a small rectangular structure with shallow slot trenches along the long axis that contained post-holes. Charcoal from the fill of one of the slot trenches returned a radiocarbon date of 775-980 cal. 2δ AD (UBA 48148 1158 +/- 23 BP). Other archaeological features included two pits and three post-holes to the west and south-west of the rectangular structure. Charcoal analysis of the samples suggested the use of ash wood in the structural features in this cutting, i.e. in a slot trench and post-hole, and a range of other wood types for fuelwood indicating mostly scrubland and wetland environments in proximity to the site. As no artefactual, faunal or charred seed remains were recovered there is little supporting evidence as to the range of activities that may have been undertaken at the site. Due to the small size of the structure it is not considered a domestic or house structure but may have been a hut or pen used for some subsistence or craft activity.
The only artefacts retrieved comprised two pottery sherds from the same vessel of late 12th/13th-century origin. They were recovered from the clean-back of the site and represent later activity than the excavated features.
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