Timber circle

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated around the base of a low knoll (diam. c. 60m; H c. 2.5-3m) on the S bank of a WSW-ENE section of the River Blackwater, with the stream immediately to the N. It is also at the N base of the Hill of Lloyd, the summit of which is c. 800m to the SW and c. 70m higher. Archaeological monitoring (05E0466) of Phase II of the development of an industrial park identified archaeological material (Finn 2009) which was excavated in two tranches under the same licence (Elliott 2009; Rohan 2009). The summit of the knoll and the NE quadrant of the timber circle are preserved under grass.

An arc of 88 post-holes placed c. 0.6-1m apart and accompanied by 19 stake-holes extended SE-WNW at the base of the knoll, which it could have surrounded (diam. c. 85-100m), although there is no evidence that it did. The posts (diam. c. 0.2m) in post-holes (diam. c. 0.35m; D c. 0.3m) were burnt in situ and two possible entrances marked by larger posts were identified at NW (Wth 1.4m) and SE (Wth 3.4m). Pits around the NW entrance were largely sterile, although the largest (dims 2.7m x 1.3m; D 0.53m) held some charred grain. There was a truncated ditch (Wth of top 0.83m; D 0.17m; L 5m) 2m outside the timber circle at W and a ditch placed c. 20m inside the circle, but only the outer ditch appears to be concentric with the timber circle. Thirty four pits inside the timber circle were excavated, and at least three phases of activity can be recognised. A second inner ditch (Wth of top 1.5m; D 0.63m; L 9.3m plus) was only evident at the W side of the knoll, would have cut the line of the timber circle, and extended outside the excavation to the N. The top of the knoll had also been quarried, but this was probably a fairly recent event. (Rohan and Elliott 2009)

The inner ditch was traced for more than 102m as it curved slightly around the S and SE sides of the knoll, and extended outside the excavation to the E. Its W terminal was 12m inside the NW entrance of the timber circle, but it would have cut the line of the timber circle at SE. It has a fairly uniform U-shaped profile (Wth of top 1.5-1.8m; D 0.6-0.85m) and it was filled with various silt layers that yielded few artefacts, the most significant of which was a glass bead from its base. A number of pits (diam. 0.3-1m; D 0.05-0.4m) on the S slope of the knoll and inside the ditch were also investigated, but proved to be largely sterile apart from having charcoal inclusions. A concentrated area of 20 pits (dims 0.2-0.9m; D 0.1-0.4m) and 85 stake-holes at the E edge of the excavated area and inside the ditch produced a chert blade and 20 sherds of Neolithic pottery. The inner ditch might be unconnected with the timber circle in time or function, but no radiocarbon dates are available. (Rohan and Elliott 2008)

See the attached plan from Rohan (2009, fig. 4)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 4 April, 2019

References

Finn, D. 2009 Royal Drive Developments, Townparks, Kells. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 416, No. 1583. Dublin, Wordwell

Elliott, R. 2009 Townparks, Kells: Hilltop enclosure site. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 416-7, No. 1584. Dublin, Wordwell

Rohan, N. 2009 Kells Business Park Extension: Multi-phase with Neolithic activity. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 417-8, No. 1585. Dublin, Wordwell

Rohan, N. and Elliott, R. 2008 Preliminary Report on Excavations at Townparks, Kells, Co. Meath. Licence No. 05E0466. Unpublished report, Archaeological Development Services