Well in Muckerstown

Situated on a slight SE-facing slope in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (03E1331) by S. Halliday identified archaeological features in Area 13B of the N2 Finglas to Ashbourne road and bypass (excavations.ie 2003:1424) which were subsequently excavated by C. Moore under the same licence (excavations.ie 2004:1293). The earliest feature was a ditch (Wth of top 1.6m; D 0.75m; visible L 3.4m) at the S edge of the excavated area that was truncated by later features. Phase 2 consisted of the digging of two large pits, at SW (dims of top 10.8m NW-SE; 5.5m NE-SW; max. D 2.45m at SE), and at SE (dims of top 11.6m NE-SW; 6.1m NW-SE; max. D 2.5m at SW). Each of the pits has straight sides on three sides and is gently sloping or stepped at the fourth side. The SW pit had a platform of timbers a step above the final base of the pit and a wooden panel, possibly fallen in from retaining the sides of the pit, at another point. The SE waterhole had a metaled surface at its shallower NE end and an additional pit (diam. 2.1m; D 1.2m) at the same end. The deep ends of both pits are at S and are only c. 5m apart. The large pits can be interpreted as waterholes deliberately created to collect rainwater. Both were filled with waterlogged clays that contained organic material, and deposits of worked roundwoods. The SE pit also had 131 bundles of twigs, each bound with light withies. One of these produced a C14 date of 1520-1310 cal. BC. Phase 3 is represented by surface works including interrupted sections of a C-shaped (int. diam. 8.9m NE-SW) slot-trench (Wth c. 0.3m; D < 0.3m) which was open to the SE and had two internal post-holes placed c. 1.5-2.5m from the slot-trench. The slot-trench was located in the acute angle between the large Phase 2 pits, and it is probable that the rest of this hut-site has been truncated by later agricultural activity. Extensive burning sealed the large pits and the features of Phase 3. Phases 4 and 5 represent two post-abandonment series of furrows and drainage features. Fourteen undiagnostic flints were recovered, but there were few other finds, apart from medieval pottery from the furrows. (Fallon 2007; 2008) See the attached plan of the water-holes (_1) from Fallon (2008, fig. 6) See the attached plan of the wooden platform from the SW water-hole (_2) from Fallon (2008, fig. 15) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 17 December 2021