Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Toom 5 (Hardy et al. 2010, 75-6). It is situated on a slightly undulating landscape. Excavation (E4282) of an extensive area (dims 45m E-W; 40m N-S) by M. McNamara recorded a concentrated subrectangular area (dims c. 11m E-W; c. 9m N-S) where all but three of the 104 stake-holes were concentrated, together with 12 of the 17 post-holes. No pattern was discernible apart from a concentration of the stake-holes at the edges of an oval area (dims c. 11.5m E-W; c. 7.5m N-S), which may have formed a structure. A sample from a post-hole produced a C14 date of Cal. BC 2462-2210. A second phase is probably represented by four pits. Two of the pits (dims 1.55m x 1m; D 0.45m: 0.79m x 0.7m;D 0.29m) were located c. 14m to the NNW of the stake-hole area, and two others were located 7m (dims 0.48m x 0.37m; D 0.04m) and 11m (dims 0.85m x 0.85m; D 0.55m) to the WSW of the same focus. A sample from the last produce a C14 date of Cal BC 39 to Cal AD 80. The pits and post-holes (WX020-099----) are c. 70m to the NNE and the hearth (WX020-101----) is c. 140m to the SSW. (McNamara and Ruttle 2012; McNamara 2013)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 28 November, 2013

References

McNamara, M. 2013 Toom 5. Pits, post- and stake-holes. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2010: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 264-5, No. 830. Dublin. Wordwell.

McNamara, M. and Ruttle, E. 2012 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford. E4282, Toom 5. Stage (IV) Final Excavation Report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished report, TVAS (Ireland).

Hardy, C., Nugent, L., Homan Reid, R; O'Liathain, N; Whitty, Y.; and Coleman, C. 2010 N11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. Archaeological Consultancy Services, Stage (1)a. E4110. Testing report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished. TVAS (Ireland).