Ritual site - pond

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight SE-facing slope in a fairly level landscape c. 325m SW of Monknewtown henge (ME019-016001-). This is known as Site W (O’Kelly 1978, 64) and is a circular sunken area (diam. 51m E-W; 47.5m N-S) defined by a massive earthen bank (at W: Wth of base 14.4m; Wth of top 3.4m; int. H 2.6m; ext. H 1.9m; at E: Wth of base 19m; int. H 2.6m; ext. H 2.3m) and a wide outer fosse (at W: Wth of top 28m; Wth of base 12m; ext. D 1.4m) that is largely silted up. A modern N-S drain cuts through the interior and the centre is water-logged. This drain is cut through the bank at S and turns E, leaving the outer fosse at SE to turn S. No entrance feature is present. Archaeological testing (98E0424) by R. Swan c. 100m to the N produced no related material (excavations.ie 1998:513; 1999:697).

A magnetic gradiometer survey (10R0122) in the field W of the monument SE-W-NW identified a small rectangular ditched enclosure (dims c. 17m NE-SW; 6.5m NW-SE) with rounded corners and a central gap in the short SW side just outside the SW edge of the fosse. There were hints of a larger outer rectangular enclosure around it. A second rectangular ditched feature (dims c. 37m ENE-WSW; c. 33m NNW-SSE), lacking a boundary on its N side is outside the S edge of the fosse. It has some internal divisions, and is connected with a ditch extending off to the S from its SE angle. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) conducted on a N-S transect recorded low resistivity of the interior of the pond to a depth of c. 2m, suggesting that it might be quite shallow but a narrow band of low resistance immediately outside the bank at N intimates that a silted drain surrounds the bank all the way around on the outside. (Barton 2010)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 10 July 2007
Amended: 28 January 2021

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/1976).

References

O'Kelly, C. 1978 (3rd ed.) Illustrated guide to Newgrange and the other Boyne monuments. Cork. Author.

Barton, K. 2010 Geophysical Survey of Site W, Monknewtown, Slane, Co. Meath. Licence No. 10R0122. Unpublished report for Boyne Valley Landscape Project Phase III. Landscape and Geophysical Services