Field system

The National Monuments Service's description

A number of flimsy boundaries can be identified amongst the stakeholes throughout the excavation. The posts are variously spaced (1-8m) and undoubtedly many stakes with a shallow footing will not have survived, but spacing of c. 1-2m appears to be common. Fences I (L c. 18m) with 20 stakeholes and J (L 17m) with 24 stakeholes follow similar courses W-E, both arcing to the S at the E end. They are located 2-5m S of the spread associated with Burnt Mound 2. Fence I terminates at the E end in a possible circular structure (diam. c. 2m) defined by the cuts of what might be a plank footing and some stakeholes. The boundaries produced no diagnostic artefacts, but a sample of hazel charcoal from a stakehole in Line J provides a C14 determination of 1751-1616 cal. BC (UBA 12912). (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 04-07)

Other equally flimsy boundaries can be traced across the excavated area but they cannot be provided with direct dating evidence. They consist of stakeholes that can be closely or widely spaced, which may reflect differential survival at particular points, and the fences would probably have been of post and wattle construction. The N-S fences D (L c. 30m) on the E slope of the ridge and F (L c. 16m) c. 30m to the E define the area with the most intense prehistoric activity, and fences E/L and C connect with D from the W. The two C14 dates of 1882-1745 cal. BC (UBA 12900) and 799-566 cal. BC (UBA 12901) from charcoal in stakeholes from Fence D are unhelpful. They might be derived in some part either from residual or intrusive material, or they might be from different fences. The curving E-W Fence H (L 12m) might connect with Fence L if continued at its E end. Fences L and the N end of fence D surround much of the platform A, and as this is the most easily discerned pattern it might be concluded that most of the fences could be related to that feature and that era as suggested by the radiocarbon date from Fence J. The short Fence G (L 6.5m) is c. 6-9m W of the N part of Fence D, and its S end could be connected to the N end of Fence F by sections of an interrupted E-W gully. (Walsh 2011, vol. 1, 149-54, 160, 177)

See the attached plans adapted from Walsh 2011 (vol. 2, figs 5,6,8)
ME017-087_1 Site plan;
ME017-087_2 Contour plan;
ME017-087014-_1 plan;
ME017-087014-_2 plan;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 22 March 2022

References

Walsh, F. 2011 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Kilmainham 1C, Co. Meath. Licence: E003140. Unpublished report, 2 vols, Irish Archaeological Consultancy