Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (04E0926) by S. Keith (2005) at Testing Area 3 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified archaeological material (excavations.ie 2004:1311) that was excavated (E003130) by E. Lyne (2010) as Phoenixtown 3 from November 2006 to March 2007 (excavations.ie 2007:1369). Two areas were opened, amounting to 5500 square metres in total.

A WNW-ESE medieval ditch (L 28m; Wth 1.36m; D 0.28m) crossed Area A and terminated in an oval pit (dims 4m x 2.3m; D 0.23m) at E that had evidence of in situ burning. The drain had a single fill of brown silty clay that produced a sherd of a local medieval fine ware dating from the 13th to 14 centuries, as well as a nail and a piece of flint, although it may have been re-cut at its E end. This drain cut a slighter ENE-WSW one (Wth 0.48m; D 0.18m). There were six pits (dims 0.6m x 0.96m; D 0.16m to 1.8m x 1.4m; D0.17m), including a hearth (dims 0.8m x 0.55m; D 0.07m) cut into the fill of the large ditch that produced no material but which clearly post-date it. One large pit (diam. 3.3m; D 0.7m) that cut the medieval ditch had two levels of in situ burning, each with several discrete lenses of ash and charcoal. Carbonised cereal grains are associated with these, but a sample from the base returned a C14 date of 1665-1952 cal. AD, indicating recent use. An iron wedge was in the final fill of this feature. There were 15 postholes and three stakeholes in the excavated area but no pattern was discernible. There were also about 20 small pits including one hearth that could not be stratigraphically related to other features but which are probably medieval or post medieval in date. This includes a cluster of pits at the S extent of the excavated area which might be related to the medieval corn-drying kilns of Phoenixtown 2 that are just to the SE. (Lyne 2010, 7-16)

See the attached plan from Lyne (2010, fig. 7)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 23 March 2022

References

Lyne, E. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Phoenixtown 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003130. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

Keith, S. 2005 M3 Clonee-North of Kells; Contract 4, Navan - Kells and Kells Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 3 in Phoenixtown, County Meath. Licence: 04E0926. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy