Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified in centre-line testing (E004110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Drumgold 1 (Hardy et al. 2010, 90). This site is situated on a fairly level landscape. It was excavated (E4200) by D. Gallagher who uncovered two hut-sites, one of which could be within a rectangular enclosure defined by an E-W palisade trench (Wth 0.5m; D 0.4m; excavated L 5m), accompanied by an inner trench (Wth 0.16m; D 0.16m; excavated L 2.86m) at N, and a N-S palisade trench (Wth 0.4m; D 0.26m; excavated L 6.2m) at E with an entrance gap (Wth 0.7m). The dimensions of the enclosure cannot be ascertained as most of it is under a N-S section of an existing road on the W side. About 1m outside the entrance two parallel lines of post-holes (L 2.2m), placed 1.5m apart, lead towards it.
Just W of the N-S palisade is a circular hut-site (int. diam. 7.5m NW-SE) defined by a slot-trench (Wth 0.57-0.87m; D 0.22-0.4m) with an inturned entrance (Wth 1m) marked by post-holes at SE. There are a number of internal post-holes and a central hearth (dims 1.2m x 1.1m; D 0.15m). The second hut-site (Structure 2) is 7m to the NW and separated from Structure 1 by the E-W palisade trenches. This structure (int. diam. c. 6.25m NW-SE) is defined by a slot-trench (Wth 0.14-0.47m; D 0.06-0.27m) with post-holes on its line. It has an entrance (Wth c. 1m) at E, marked by two post-holes. There are two large pits (dims 1.01m x 0.78m; D 0.33m: 1.8m x 0.5m plus; D 1m) in the interior. A large quantity of flint and prehistoric pottery was recovered. The fulacht fia (WX026-079----) is c. 160m to the NE. (Hardy and Rajic 2012; Gallagher 2013)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 29 November, 2013

References

Hardy, C. and Rajic, M. 2012 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford. E4200, Drumgold 1. Stage (III) Post-excavation Assessment Report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished report, TVAS (Ireland).

Gallagher, D. 2013 Drumgold 1. Two circular Bronze Age houses, palisades, pits and post-holes. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2013: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 239-40, No. 747. Dublin. Wordwell.

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 Unpublished.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).