Habitation site in Collinstown (leixlip Ed)

Eighteen potential archaeological sites were found during monitoring of topsoil-stripping on the Celbridge Interchange, from April to December 2001 (Licence no. 01E0306). Most were resolved through subsequent excavation. The scheme was approximately 4km in length and ran from Celbridge to Leixlip through gently undulating land with a mixture of arable, pasture and woodland. The southern part of the scheme runs through an area heavily influenced by 18th-century landscape design, with avenues, woodland and tree-lined field boundaries centred on the early 18th-century house at Castletown. This site (Site 16) was divided into three phases: Phase 1, the earliest, consisted of all features which cut the natural subsoil. Phase 2 was the large northerly orientated ditch, and Phase 3 was the final phase of ploughing. Phases 1 and 2 may be contemporary but as explained below, have been dealt with separately. Nine features were identified in Phase 1, mostly concentrated in the north-western area of the site. In the north-western sector there was a hearth feature, two shallow post-holes, two pits and a possible post-hole. In the south-eastern quadrant there was a linear cut and an oval pit. In the south-western corner was an oval cut. These features suggest a habitation site of some kind. There was, however, no obvious pattern to the post-holes nor enough of them to suggest a structure. The two post- or stake-holes close to the hearth may have been associated with it. Burnt and unburnt bone was found in the pit close to the hearth. It may have been a rubbish-pit. It was truncated on its southern side by a plough-furrow. Two pits, 0.35m apart, were found in the southern area of the site. Burnt and unburnt bone was found in the fills of one of them. Burnt bone and a sherd of medieval pottery were found in pit C23. The sherd was the only artefact from this phase and therefore suggests a medieval terminus post quem for it. Phase 2 is represented by a large northerly orientated ditch which cut through the entire site. It did not truncate any of the features described in Phase 1 so may be contemporary with them. It had a C-shaped profile in the south and a rounded V-shaped profile in the north. The fills varied from north to south. The fills of the ditch produced animal bone, cremated bone and two fragments of human skull. The skull fragments were found at the base of the ditch, along with 23 cattle-sized vertebrae fragments. Other cattle parts included a molar, a horn core, a humerus, a metacarpal and a metatarsal. These disarticulated bones were probably dumped into the ditch when it was open. The only artefact found in the ditch fills was an iron blade. Five fragments of cremated animal bone were found in the same fill as the blade. This feature seems to have been a boundary ditch. It does not correspond to any ditches marked on the first edition OS 6-inch map so must pre-date the early 19th century. Phase 3 is represented by nine plough-furrows. They ran across the site from east to west and truncated the large ditch and some other features. They varied in width from 0.8m to 0.3m. Several post-medieval artefacts were found in the furrow fills, including pottery sherds, glass, clay pipe fragments and a nail. A flint flake was found in fill C12. Other artefacts were found in the topsoil during cleaning. These included a silver button, nails and two flint flakes. (www.excavations.ie) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011