Early Medieval Settlement and Burial outside the Enclosed Town: Evidence from Archaeological Excavations at Bride Street, Dublin

Abstract

Abstract:This report describes the results of a limited archaeological excavation carried out between October and December 1993 in advance of the construction of a local authority housing scheme on the east side of Bride Street, Dublın. The excavatıon revealed five phases of actıvity. The evidence for phase I consisted of a spread of refuse and two rubbish pits, followed by an attempt at levelling up the ground by the deposition of sterile clays, the final layer of which provided a fairly level compact surface over most of the site. On the new ground the remains of a rectangular-shaped structure together with a hearth were excavated, which related to a second phase of domestic activity. The evidence from later deposits indicates a date between the eighth and tenth centuries for the settlement activity associated with both these phases. Phase III saw the beginning of a division in land use between the east and the west of the site. Burials occurring in the east of the site, which post-dated the earlier settlement, may mark the western extent of a graveyard associated with the church of St Michael le Pole. After the graveyard went out of use in the eleventh or twelfth century, the evidence suggests that this eastern side of the site was being used for agricultural or horticultural purposes durıng phases IV and V. To the west, heavy, silty clays were clearly not cultivated, but industrial activity, including copperworking and ironworking, predominated in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Assocıated features included a hearth with a channel or chute, possibly a run-off for molten metal, and pit furnaces.