This volume is the latest instalment of the TII’s heritage series, replacing the NRA’s archaeology monograph series, which report the results of archaeological investigations in advance of national infrastructure projects such as the M9/M10 Kilcullen to Waterford road scheme reported here. The current book makes a departure from previous volumes in the series, focusing on one site in the road scheme and one period; reports of other sites and other periods are provided in the CD that accompanies the book. In keeping with the rest of the series, this book is produced to an exceptionally high standard, with clear, readable text and attractive colour illustrations throughout. This volume focuses on the medieval village at Mullamast, known from visible earthworks and its location near to the royal site of Maistiu.
The opening chapters provide a discussion of the landscape setting of the village and assess the historical evidence for settlement in the area. The earliest mention of a settlement at this site was in 1282 when a witness to an inquisition is listed as ‘Stephen de Molachmast’. The last mention of the village is a reference to lands leased from the Earl of Kildare in 1816. It is suggested that the castle, still standing but ruinous in 1752, was replaced by Prospect House before 1783. Chapter 4 provides the main discussion of the excavation, detailing the six phases of medieval occupation. The excavators date the medieval phase to the 12th and 13th centuries and declining during the 14th; however, only four C14 dates related to the medieval layers, ranging from 1220 to 1435. The lack of C14 dates means that the various phases of occupation cannot be dated. The excavated trench of the road passed through the village approximately along the same line as a medieval road, meaning that only the edges of three house plots were uncovered and evidence for buildings was inferred from ditches and spreads of rubble. Chapter 5 covers the interpretation of the floral and faunal remains of the site. There was some evidence for arable cultivation, but the most interesting result was the significant number of horse bones present. This was believed to indicate that this was a horse breeding centre, this interpretation may have been influenced by the presence of more modern horse studs in the county. The final chapter considers the decline of the village and discusses parallels with English medieval villages. The appendices contain radiocarbon dates and a catalogue of finds.
This book provides an up-to-date discussion of medieval settlement in Ireland, which is a valuable contribution, and attempts to interpret this excavation in light of the current knowledge. The full interpretation of this site is limited by the fact that only 10% of the settlement was excavated and the majority of which was a medieval road. The church and manorial centre are still to be located in the surrounding fields. This book will be of use to anyone interested in medieval Ireland or medieval settlement in general.