Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Habitation site
Donacarney Great, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Donacarney Great
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.70120, -6.26669
- SMR number
- ME021-030----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1799 "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Located on a slight rise in a fairly level landscape. Archaeological testing (06E0413) on an area of about 15 acres (c. 6 ha) SW of the R150 Bettystown to Donacarney road identified a number of features consisting mostly of linear trenches or spreads of silty clays with bone inclusions. There was an L-shaped trench (L 7.2m; 2.3m; Wth 0.7m; ) just NE of a curved trench (Wth 1m; D 0.25m) open to the SW. A group of features in a concentrated area (dims c. 60m x 45m) was resolved into eight refuse pits and two, or possibly three, corn-drying kilns. The subrectangular refuse pits (dims 1.67m x 1.4m; D 0.55m to 4.75m x 4.65m; D 0.6m) contained large quantities of animal bone, some burnt in roasting. The faunal assemblage was dominated by cattle, followed by sheep and pig, and the bones represented large animals which were probably slaughtered for immediate consumption. Dog and cat were also present, perhaps as scavengers. Two subrectangular pits (dims 2.4m N-S; 1.2m E-W; D 0.4m: dims 2.7m N-S; 2.3m E-W; D 0.2-0.4m), which from their fills and evidence of oxidisation of the subsoil, are likely to have been for cereal drying were also recorded in this area. Barley, wheat and oats, some of it charred, was recovered close to them, and they are likely to be contemporary with the other pits. Five curvilinear features were also recorded which may have been related to the kilns. A sample of animal bone produced a calibrated C14 determination of AD 320-520 for this open habitation, which may have served a larger settlement in the vicinity.
Compiled by: Michel Moore
Date of upload: 19 July 2018
References
Rathbone, S. 2010 Donacarney Great: Early medieval settlement site. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 351, No. 1302. Dublin, Wordwell
Rathbone, S. and O'Reilly, E. 2008 Archaeological excavation, Donacarney Great / Bettystown (Phase 1). Licence No. 07E0622. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services
Nearby in the register
- Burial groundunder 1 mi
- Burialunder 1 mi
- Ring-ditchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.