Enclosure in Drinan

This monument was partially excavated (Licence no. 04E1604) in advance of development. A multi-period site, this circular enclosure (c. 28m diam.) truncated the E end of an earlier rectangular enclosure (DU012, 094002-). The ditch varies in width between 5.5-6.2m in width and up to 1.9m in depth with a total of twenty-six fills. A rich organic deposit was identified throughout the entire ditch which included fragments of wood such as barrel hoops, a possible barrel stave and sharpened stakes. A probable bridge consisting of four large postholes was identified directly in line with a metalled surface. Two radiocarbon dates were recovered from the base of the enclosure ditch. An apple sample attained a date of 1010 +/- 34 AD while an oak sample attained a date of 509 +/- 31 AD. A discrepancy of 500 years has been ascribed to ‘old wood’ effect (Halliday 2008, 23). The E quadrant of the site was preserved in situ within open space. Compiled by: Christine Baker Date of upload: 5 February 2015