Habitation site

The National Monuments Service's description

Discovered prior to construction of the M1 motorway (Excavation Licence No. 00E0535, Areas F and G). Over 150 features were excavated including pits, post-holes and linear features. One pit (1.7m x 1.2m; D 0.2m) contained 127 sherds of beaker pottery representing at least 30 pots along with one complete and part of a barbed and tanged arrowhead. A stone lined pit (0.45m x 0.45m; D 0.22m) contained a sherd of beaker pottery, a barbed and tanged arrowhead and burnt bone fragments. Another pit (1.1m x 0.3m; D 0.12m) contained a potsherd possibly from an urn. A number of other pits were discovered containing pottery dating to the Bronze Age and flints. The number of features uncovered is large but stratigraphy is scant. Neolithic and Bronze Age habitation and burial activities are mainly indicated but there are also some hints of a medieval and early modern presence. With further work a clearer picture may be established. (Duffy 2002, 231-2)

Compiled by: Claire Breen

Date of upload: 26 June 2013

References

Duffy, C. 2002 Hill of Rath. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2000: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 231-3 (No. 688). Bray. Wordwell.