House - Neolithic

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a slight fold in a gently undulating landscape, with rock outcrop close to the surface at the S edge of the hollow. Archaeological testing (04E0917) by J. Roynane (2005) at Testing Area 10 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified (excavations.ie 2004:1270) archaeological material that was fully excavated (E003141) in November and December 2006 by E. Lyne (2011) as Kilmainham 1A when an L-shaped area of 7000 square metres was opened. The excavated area was just SW of the multi-period complex of Kilmainham 1C. Two Neolithic structures, a Bronze Age hut-site, a prehistoric boundary and a flat cemetery, were recorded as well as an early medieval cereal-drying kiln and a long ditch that extended into Kilmainham 1C (excavations.ie 2007:1334).

Structure 2 is c. 2m SW of Structure 1 but appears less complete and substantial. It has eight structural postholes on its perimeter, the most substantial of which are in the N wall, forming a rectangular structure (dims 6.5m NNE-SSW; 4.5m WNW-ESE). No entrance, slot-trenches or internal hearth is identified, but other internal postholes might also have been part of the house. A polished stone axehead was lying in the bottom of one of the perimeter postholes, and a sample of hazelnut shell from the SE corner posthole produced a C14 date of 3701-3639 cal. BC (UBA 12100). Two of the posts which were oak had rotted in situ but the others, of a variety of species, appear to have been removed. A large irregularly-shaped cut (dims 5m x 1-3.8m; D 0.5m) occupies much of the interior and may have formed a laid floor, as its component layers produced significant amounts of early Neolithic pottery and flint. Six of the eight postholes within the structure and largely set in these layers produced sherds of carinated bowls. One, close to the N wall, had 18 sherds from a single vessel, and a sample of hazelnut shell from the same context provided a radiocarbon date of 3760-3639 cal. BC (UBA 12106).

Three small pits (dims c. 0.9m x 0.5m; D 0.2m) within the floor space produced 19 sherds of carinated bowls as well as flints, including two possible arrowheads. However, a sample of hazel charcoal from one of the floor layers returned a C14 date of 2571-2468 cal. BC. (UBA 12101) and a sample of hazelnut shell from another floor layer provided a radiocarbon determination of 1452-1313 cal. BC (UBA 12105). Clearly, given the amount of Early Neolithic pottery recovered, these layers are early Neolithic in date but some have been contaminated with later material. An oval pit (dims 4.6m E-W; 1.3m N-S; D 0.97m) straddles the S wall and must pre-date the house while a large refuse pit (4.5m x 2.65m; D 0.75m) that was c. 9m to the E is probably connected with it as the pit produced 32 sherds of early Neolithic carinated bowls. An adjacent metalled surface and associated layers provided 19 sherds of early Neolithic wares and a possible polishing stone. A small hearth (dims 1.15m x 0.5m; D 0.15m) c. 2.5m W of the house’s NW corner is also probably related to it, and nine pits and six stakeholes in the immediate vicinity are most likely contemporary with it, although few definitive artefacts were recovered from these features. (Lyne 2011, 8-18)

See the attached plans adapted from Lyne (2011, figs 7, 9)
ME017-085_1 Site plan;
ME0117-085003- House;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 16 March 2022