Excavation

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Toom 5 (Hardy et al. 2010, 75-6). It is situated on a slightly undulating landscape. Excavation (E4282) of an extensive area (dims 45m E-W; 40m N-S) by M. McNamara recorded a concentrated subrectangular area (dims c. 11m E-W; c. 9m N-S) where all but three of the 104 stake-holes were concentrated, together with 12 of the 17 post-holes. No pattern was discernible apart from a concentration of the stake-holes at the edges of an oval area (dims c. 11.5m E-W; c. 7.5m N-S), which may have formed a structure. A sample from a post-hole produced a C14 date of Cal. BC 2462-2210. A second phase is probably represented by four pits. Two of the pits (dims 1.55m x 1m; D 0.45m: 0.79m x 0.7m;D 0.29m) were located c. 14m to the NNW of the stake-hole area, and two others were located 7m (dims 0.48m x 0.37m; D 0.04m) and 11m (dims 0.85m x 0.85m; D 0.55m) to the WSW of the same focus. A sample from the last produce a C14 date of Cal BC 39 to Cal AD 80. The pits and post-holes (WX020-099----) are c. 70m to the NNE and the hearth (WX020-101----) is c. 140m to the SSW. (McNamara and Ruttle 2012; McNamara 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 28 November, 2013