EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Waterford
Kill St. Lawrence, Co. Waterford
Ecclesiastical Settlement
Grid Ref: S61320917 (261329/109174)
SMR No: WA 017-005
Excavation Licence: 02E1448
Excavation Duration/Year: September 2002
Site Director: A. O’Connell; E. Corcoran
An early ecclesiastical site in Kill St. Lawrence, excavated in advance of road realignment,
revealed two concentric enclosing ditches as well as a series of external and internal ditches,
pits, deposits and possible hearths/post-holes. The excavation site was directly east of the
remains of the church and graveyard on a slight rise of ground at 18m OD in a generally lowlying
landscape.
The outer enclosure ditch had an extrapolated diameter of approximately 110m. No evidence
of an internal bank was uncovered. Along the southern side of the enclosure, the ditch
measured 6m wide at the top and 0.74m deep and had generally a shallow stepped profile
with a flat base. Along the northern side of the enclosure, the ditch was 2.8m wide at the top
and 1.38m deep and had generally steeply sloping sides and a V-shaped profile. The fills of
the ditch contained occasional inclusions of charcoal. Charred material (wood species identity
unknown) from the basal fill of the outer enclosing ditch returned a seventh/eighth-century
date (see below).
A second ditch was uncovered parallel to the outer enclosure ditch and measured 1.8m wide
at the top and 0.58m deep with steeply sloping sides and a concave base. Inclusions of
charcoal and five pieces of slag were recovered within its basal fill. This previously
unidentified inner enclosure was concentric with the outer enclosure, and had an extrapolated
diameter of 60m. No evidence of an internal bank was recovered. Two sections of the inner
ditch was excavated and revealed that it measured between 1.9m-2.3m wide and 0.85m-
0.96m deep and contained inclusions of charcoal and a flint flake within its fills.
Settlement activity within the enclosure was suggested by the excavation of a variety of
features including pits, deposits and possible hearths/post-holes. Twelve roughly sub-circular
pits were excavated within the interior and had average maximum dimensions of 0.8m.
Charred material was recovered from the primary fill of one of the pits and returned a
fourth/sixth-century date (see below). This pit appears to pre-date the construction of the
outer enclosure ditch, however this date, derived from oak charcoal, may have been
subjected to the ‘old wood’ effect as it was not possible to determine whether the charred
material derived from twigs or trunks of great age.
Three unidentified seeds, a single fragment of charred hazel nut shell, and three fragments of
burnt animal bone (either pit or sheep/goat) were recovered from the fill of another pit in the
enclosure interior. Three possible hearths/post-holes with an average diameter of 0.25m were
situated close together within the inner enclosure and contained charcoal-rich fills. Four
irregular to sub-rectangular deposits were also excavated within the enclosure and had
average dimensions of 1.3m by 1m. No evidence for burials was revealed within the
enclosure.
A number of features comprising two deposits, four pits and one ditch were revealed outside
the enclosure ditches. The ditch was approximately one metre wide and orientated east-west.
The pits were sub-circular or oval in plan and had an average diameter of 0.3m. The two
deposits were sub-circular in plan and had an average diameter of 0.23m.
600