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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
Wood, as a...
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
Wood, as a cheap and readily available material, was used predominately to manufacture 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 subterranean 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 by The National Museum of Ireland and Dublin City Council in 1962-63 revealed an extensive settlement of single-storey, 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.
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