Excavation

In 1997, archaeological monitoring (Licence no. 97E0151: www.excavations.ie) of the mechanical excavation of pipe trench cuttings to accommodate a new 1.5m water main and the laying of gas pipes in Main Street (north and south) and adjoining streets in Naas was carried out. In the course of trenching along the western side of North Main Street, to the north of the Town Hall, a portion of a truncated pit was revealed. Part of the western side of the pit had been disturbed and removed at some earlier time in the course of laying other service pipes. The remaining element of the pit was 0.8m east-west, 0.6m north-south and 0.24m deep. It contained dark brown soil, five water-rolled stones varying between 0.1m and 0.15m in thickness, a quantity of animal bones, and sherds of the rim, strap handle and body of a 13th/14th-century wine jug of Dublin manufacture. The rim bears piecrust decoration. Stratification overlying the pit consisted of 0.08m of road surface tarmac and 0.28m of hard-core. The pit had been cut into the underlying boulder clay. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011