8 / 114
8
Wednesday 26th April
2 A MEDIEVAL OAK DRAIN FROM THE WALLS OF DUBLIN,with circular iron connection piece. 97cm high, diameter 5cm; iron collar, 18cm
high, 8cm diameter.
Provenance:The High Street Dublin.
Wood, as a cheap and readily available material, was used predominately to manufac-
ture pipes in the medieval period.Water pipes were made by several methods such as
hollowing out tree trunks or by boring them longitudinally using a long auger. Oak
was commonly used for water pipes, such as the present example excavated from
the city walls at High Street.Wooden pipes were made and installed in subterra-
nean trenches by carpenters and they were relatively easy to transport and install in
comparison to their lead counterparts.The durability of the wooden pipes varied
considerably, depending on the type, its saturation and soil conditions. Joints were
particularly vulnerable to decay; the average lifespan of a pipe varied however, some
medieval ones such as this example are still well preserved.
As the Liffey was tidal within the city area, and undrinkable, an early source of water
for the city was provided by the river Poddle through the Abbey Stream watercourse.
This sophisticated water system took water from the Poddle upstream, between
Harold’s Cross and Kimmage, and channelled it North running parallel to the River
Liffey. An excavation at High Street, carried out byThe National Museum of Ireland
and Dublin City Council in 1962-63 revealed an extensive settlement of single-sto-
rey, sub-rectangular, post-and-wattle houses. High Street ran parallel to the River
Liffey, on the south side, and extended from Cornmarket to Christ Church with the
main focus of the excavation on a plot of land at the corner of High St. and Nicholas
St. From the structural remains evidence of numerous trades such as comb making,
leather working and weaving were recovered. Due to the concentration of trade
and the rapidly rising population levels from the 10th and 11th centuries onwards,
the eastern half of the later walled town expanded westwards which is evident by
excavations along both sides of High Street.
€ 600 - 1,000