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Archaeological and palaeoenvironmental investigations of a multi-period wetland

site at Newrath, Co. Kilkenny


Scott Timpany 1
Brendon Wilkins 2

1 Headland Archaeology Ltd, 13 Jane Street, Edinburgh, EH6 5HE


2 Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1, IDA Industrial Estate, Wallingstown, Little Island, Co. Cork.

Introduction
New road developments in southern Ireland are not only improving the infrastructure of the country in terms of road
safety and meeting the demands of increasing traffic volume but are also providing a rare opportunity for archaeological
and palaeoenvironmental investigations. One such pre-construction archaeological investigation was undertaken by
Headland Archaeology in the townland of Newrath, Co. Kilkenny prior to the building of an 18 km bypass around Water-
ford City. The bypass will form part of the improved N25, which will run from Kilmeaden in Co. Waterford in the west to
Slieverue in Co. Kilkenny to the east.
The site is located at NGR 14485/59125 situated immediately east of the existing Newrath road, in the townland of Ne-
wrath, Co. Kilkenny (see Figure 1). Today this area is reclaimed wetland, which is used for agricultural pasture and lies at ap-
proximately 2m OD. However, in the past the site was heavily influenced by the tidal River Suir, which lies some 0.5km to
the southwest. This tidal influence led to the site being inundated during the Iron Age c.1870±35 BP (GU-13996; 60-240
Cal. AD) due to a rise in sea-level, until it was reclaimed in the nineteenth century. Archaeological and palaeoenvironmen-
tal studies funded by the National Roads Agency (NRA) as part of the National Development Plan are producing a picture
of past activities of people within a wetland landscape.

Figure 2 - Excavation of Bronze Age trackway


Figure 1 - Location Map, Newrath, Co. Kilkenny

The archaeological evidence


Preliminary investigations at the site in 2003 revealed several possible archaeological structures includ-
ing a potential brushwood platform and trackway. As a result of these findings further archaeological
investigations were undertaken from June to December 2004. Five separate areas were excavated at Site
34 containing 21 individual structures with evidence for human activity ranging from the Mesolithic to
the nineteenth century. There were five main phases of activity: later Mesolithic flint scatters on a dry
land surface predating the accumulation of organic peat deposits; Bronze Age trackways and informal
brushwood platforms accessing the main river channel from the dryland margin (see Figure 2); Bronze
Age burnt mound on the eastern shore of the wetland area; Iron Age hurdles intended to cross tidal
Figure 3 - Iron Age hurdle creeks for salt marsh grazing (Figure 3); late medieval brushwood structures to aid access across the salt
marsh; and a 19th century brick kiln making use of the abundant alluvial clays.
The excavation and recording strategy focused on relating distinct cultural events, like the construction
of a trackway, with natural changes in the depositional record, such as the onset of peat formation. Areas
were divided into cuttings, with each cutting excavated in spits. Successive phases of superstructure and
substructure were exposed, recorded and sampled, with individual worked wood specimens sampled
for tool mark analysis, and bulk samples taken for species identification and dating (see Figure 4). Sec-
tion baulks were left in-situ, and a consistent description of the appearance, composition and boundary
distinctness of sediments obtained. Samples suitable for radiocarbon dating purposes were collected
Figure 4 - Recording of wooden structures from all the main stratigraphic sequences, in addition to monolith samples for more detailed palaeoen-
vironmental analysis.

The palaeoenvironmental evidence


A multi-proxy investigation is being undertaken on two monoliths collected from Area 1 of the site, includ-
ing: pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, plant macrofossil, wood identification, foraminifera and diatom
analyses. These results have combined to give an insight into the changing landscape of the Newrath area.
The palaeoenvironmental study shows that the landscape was originally dryland woodland with pollen
evidence indicating this is likely to have been Quercus dominated. At around 4850±35 BP (GU-13998;
3710-3620 Cal. BC) a change in the hydrology of the area took place, related to rising sea-level causing the
Diatom study Foraminifera study
area to become wetter and the initialization of peat. This led to the development of carr-woodland on the 3

wetland largely comprised of Alnus with Quercus, Betula, Crataegus and Salix also present. Pollen and
plant macrofossil evidence indicates that this woodland would have had a field layer of tall-herb fen com- 2
Estuarine Saltmarsh
munities with Rubus fruticosus also prominent. This period of woodland lasted for a period of around 850 intertidal (Barren zone)
Estuarine/saltmarsh environment

years until c. 3935±35 BP (GU-15498; 2620-2450 Cal. BC). Intertidal


MHWST to HAT
1870±35BP
1 MHWST Intertidal zone between MWHST to HAT
A change in the local environment then takes place from carr-woodland to a reedswamp environment,
Altitude M OD

Upper intertidal MHWST to HAT 2360±35BP


Terrestrial
shown by falling Alnus pollen and a rise in Poaceae pollen. This change can also be seen in the plant mac- Freshwater MHWST 4150±35BP

0 Freshwater/terrestrial, possible storm surge?


rofossils (see Figure 5) with a decline in arboreal species and increase in aquatic species such as Ranunculus Terrestrial 4765±35BP
4850±35BP

sceleratus. It is during this period that archaeological evidence for people in the landscape increases with
the appearance of trackways and structures indicating a resource-rich environment. Pollen evidence also -1

indicates agricultural activity taking place in this period around 2210±40 BP (GU-15497; 390-180 Cal. BC)
with the presence of cereal-type pollen grains. Wood identifications from the structures and trackways -2
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
indicate the use of trees from the local carr-woodland, mostly being Alnus, for construction rather than the
dryland resource (Lyons, 2006; O’Donnell, 2006). Figure 6 - Reconstructed sea-level curve for Newrath
Radiocarbon years BP (Uncalibrated)

Eventually the whole area was inundated due to rising sea-level (see Figure 6) at approximately 1870±35
BP (GU-13996; 60-240 Cal. AD) with diatom and foraminifera evidence indicating an inter-tidal environ- People living in a wetland landscape
ment by this time (Dawson, 2006; Haslett, 2007). This increase in sea-level led to the abandonment of the Estuarine landscapes have traditionally been conceived as neutral environments ripe for exploitation,
area in the Iron Age, with archaeological evidence showing a possible return to the area in the medieval with archaeological remains explained in terms of cultural adaptation to a rich wetland resource. These
period. The area remained inter-tidal until it was reclaimed in the 19th century. perspectives have been challenged by recent moves to consider the ways that aspects of social identity
such as status, kinship, ethnicity or gender, may have influenced and been influenced by living and work-
ing in wetlands (Van de Noort and O’Sullivan 2006). If people define their sense of self by what they do,
en ts
ts
gm en

then the movement into estuarine salt marshes and fens would have had a powerful structuring influ-
nc s et. on fra s
ul rep fru e f gm
nu ulu nd st ne ale

t
le
ns

Ra unc us frui sto sc

ut
og s tki

us e it ra

Vi nis us m m fruit
ds

re qu a n let is n
ae ve f s s

ence. Daily life would have been governed by cultural convention relating to the types of work that could
bu . s cuc ilis ruit
it ud
on ud ca
at a sa ed le

fru d i s it
ts

bu

s ee ul fru
er it
Cr lus tino se sca

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en

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Ca x a ens nut str


ts

Ru a sp os- uat la f
us
e l fru
s na ale

ee
Al s g tino gm le
Al s g tino bu ts

it s
a

nu a a na
en

t
m

nu lu sa ds

re xt ta cu

t
nu lu fra ca
nu lu sa en

at
yn

tle
in ili tle
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o l fl a q u
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gu lla em

be undertaken by individuals or groups and the specific places it could be done.


sc ns
y
u d ag

m b

Ca x e tra s la
Co s g tino bu

t
Al s g od in s

t. n u
Ra us ino og
s

x at u
al

la s g

s
e

Al s w . ca s
rc bu fr

sc

tu u d fr a

u
d

un sp on
al

de s
re os tu
ch ul fla
n u o tk
ue s d

os
nu sp e

s
Be s bu s

n ul s
sc
Q rcu woo

Ca r ec
Al la . se

i
d

Pr s m

Taking this approach at Newrath has enabled us to emphasise the practical, lived experience of people’s
Be la b od

tic
Ly nc s
d

nu ulu

l
s

re op
tu wo

bu

tu p

un u

p
ue s

Be la s

Pr eg

Ra unc

Ca en
Q rcu

Be la

knowledge of the wetland and to situate this within specific cultural and historical contexts. The struc-
x
u
a

ho
tu

tu
ue

at

n
Ra
Be

Sc
Cr

Lithology
Q

Zone
95

100
tures have provided insights into the choices and decisions that people made to create route ways for
34013
105

110
short-term access to the wetland. Wood species and tree-ring studies have demonstrated how people
115
34033
have used materials local to the site, and the multi-proxy paleoenvironmental study has allowed us to un-
120

2360±35 125 derstand the biographies of these structures in their changing environments. By constructing an onsite
2210±40
130

135
history of the human inhabitation of the landscape from the Mesolithic to the present day, and recording
140
the long-term formation processes as the landscape changed over time, we can conceive of Newrath as a
Depth (cm)

34004B
Dates (BP)

145

150 dynamic social stage.


155
3935±35
160

165

170
34031(lens)
References
175
Dawson S. (2006) Waterford Monolith 1: Diatom analysis University of St Andrews, Unpublished Client Report.
180 34004A
185 Haslett S.K. (2007) Foraminiferal analyses of samples supplied by Headland Archaeology Bath Spa University, Unpublished Client
4540±40 190

195 34021 Report.


4580±40 200

205
34004A
Lyons S. (2006) Wood identification analyses of the Newrath structures Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unpublished Client Report
4765±35
210

215
O’Donnell L. (2006) Tool mark and wood analyses of worked timbers from Newrath. Margaret Gowan & Co. Ltd, Unpublished Client
20 20 20 20 20
Report.
Figure 5 - Plant macrofossil diagram, selected taxa, Monolith 2, Newrath Van de Noort, R and O’Sullivan, A. (2006). Rethinking wetland archaeology. London. Duckworth.

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