Hut site in Dunsinane

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as the S part of Dunsinane 2 (Hardy et al. 2010, 127-9). It is situated in a slight col between a rise to the E and a hill c. 700m to the NW. Dunsinane 2 was completely excavated (E4170) by D. Gallagher when two concentrations of post and stake-holes from two structures were recorded. The south structure is a subcircular area (diam. 7.5-8m) defined by 111 stake-holes in two rows placed 0.5m apart. The entrance (Wth 1m) at E is marked by two rows of three post-holes (L 1.75m) that extend inside the inner row of stake-holes on the perimeter. The post of a central post-hole had been burnt, unlike all the others, and two N-S slot-trenches (L 0.98m; 0.79m) partly screened the central post from the entrance. There was a hearth (dims 0.8m x 0.75m; T 0.1m) in the NW quadrant, and an oval pit (dims 2.58m x 0.86m; D 0.35m) in the SE contained a saddle quern and rubbing stone. There was an E-W line (L c. 10m) of 19 post-holes just S of the structure. The hut-site (WX025-060001-) is c. 35m to the NNW, and the Neolithic houses (WX019-039001-; WX019-039002-) are c. 150m to the N. The pits and post-holes (WX025-061----) are c. 40m to the S. (Hardy and Rajic 2012; Gallagher 2013) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upoad: 29 November, 2013