06E944 Laughanstown Archaeological excavation report, 06E944 Laughanstown, County Dublin. LUAS Bl Sandyford to Cherrywood Extension Archaeological Excavation Final Report Laughanstown Co. Dublin 06E944(ext.) Aaron Johnston Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd May 2009 Railway Procurement Agency Johnston, Aaron archaeology dating (measuring) Archaeological excavation report stratigraphic report specialist report Structure Pit Military camp On behalf of the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), archaeological consultants CRDS Ltd have completed the following final report detailing results from fully resolved excavations at Laughanstown in South County Dublin. Pre-development excavations were undertaken in advance of the proposed Luas B1 Sandyford to Cherrywood extension. Further investigations, which comprised of a full resolution excavation followed on from initial archaeological testing in September 2006, which revealed several archaeologically significant features dating from the prehistoric to early modern period. The site was excavated between October and December 2006 under an extension to the existing licence (06E0944ext). In total, an area of c.1350m² was assessed. Excavation exposed three separate phases of archaeological remains dating to the following periods: prehistoric activity dated from the Late Neolithic through to the Iron Age period, (c. 2800BC to 400AD); probable 18th century military activity associated with the nearby historic Laughlinstown/Laughanstown military camp and 18th to 19th century agricultural activity. The early modern Laughanstown/Loughlinstown military camp (DU026:127), is located c. 60m to the east from the site of excavation. Three main concentrations of prehistoric activity were exposed at various locations across the site during excavation. The northernmost group consisted of a concentration of 12 individual postholes, pits and stake holes centred on a shallow pit. Prehistoric pottery, dated to the Later Neolithic/Early Bronze as well as a range of flint scrapers and other flint artefacts were recovered from several of these features. A radiocarbon date of 790 – 530 cal BC (2 sigma; Wk 24913) was retrieved from a single posthole. This group of features was exposed across an area of c. 25m2 in the northern half of the site; although having no obvious overall structural outline, the individual features are presumed to have had a possible structural function and have been labelled for interpretative purposes as Structure A. The second group of features was exposed c. 40m to the south-east of those described above and consisted of 18 individual stakeholes and postholes, centred on two large pits. The two large pits, situated in the southern half of the site, were located only c. 0.30m apart and contained an amount of surface burnt material as well as evidence of in situ burning. A dolerite stone axe butt as well as a range of scrapers and flints and a single sherd of prehistoric pottery was recovered from these features. A pit within the features was dated to 250 - 430 cal AD (2sigma; Wk 24914). Again no clear structural shape was evident but a structural function is still assumed. The feature group was named Structure B. The third concentration of possible prehistoric features was situated in the southern half of the site, located c. 8m to the north-east of Structure B. This group consisted of an irregular shaped pit and three small possible stakeholes. A struck flint was recovered from beside the pit. However, these features were not well defined or suggestive of any type of formal structure and hence were not interpreted as such. The two groups of features which have been tentatively interpreted as possible structures have deposits within two of the features dated by radiocarbon evidence to the later prehistoric period. A posthole within the group of features interpreted as Structure A appears to date to the later Bronze Age or Early Iron Age (1000 BC – 400 AD). The uppermost deposit within the largest pit interpretaed as part of Structure B dates to the later end of the Iron Age (600 BC – 400 AD). The dating evidence provided by radiocarbon appears to contradict the stratified pottery and flint assemblages which have been dated to the later Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (5500 – 1500 BC). Evidence of crop cultivation and processing as well as small scale flint knapping was also recovered from the vicity of the possible structures. Transport Infrastructure Ireland National Roads Authority Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd 2009-05 Text application/pdf en Late Neolithic Neolithic http://n2t.net/ark:/99152/p06hps84bgf Ireland Dublin Laughanstown https://www.logainm.ie/16623.aspx east=323307; north=223739; projection=ING east=723230.9; north=723767.47; projection=ITM name=Laughanstown; east=-6.1531370; north=53.249922; Copyright and all related rights including moral rights in the reports and other documents provided by TII is owned by either TII or the authors of the individual reports. 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