Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight SE-facing slope 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 (E003126) by T. Coughlin (2010) as Phoenixtown 5 in late January 2007 (excavations.ie 2007:1371). Two areas were opened, amounting to 1653 square metres. In Area A a cluster of postholes and pits (dims 0.42m x 0.24m; D 0.13m to diam. 1m; D 0.19m) is optimistically interpreted as a possible square structure (dims c. 4.5m NE-SW; c. 3.5m NW-SE) but only one posthole marks the S angle while pits and deposits outline the remainder. Five sherds of Grooved ware were recovered from the postholes and 26 sherds of Grooved ware and finished flint objects including three thumbnail scrapers and two cutting tools were recovered from these features. A fragment of hazel charcoal from one of the postholes yielded a C14 date of 2867-2579 cal. BC (UBA 12108), while dates of 2831-2487 cal. BC (UBA 11105) and 2866-2580 cal. BC (UBA 12109) were returned from samples of hazel charcoal that derived from two of the pits. Two other pits (dims 1m x 0.98m; D 0.14m: diam. 0.39-0.44m; D 0.08m) within 8m of the cluster produced only single flakes of flint. A NW-SE field drain cuts through the cluster of pits. About 180m to the WSW in Area B there were three truncated pits, including a rectangular one (dims 1.4m x 0.8m; D 0.129m) that was filled with broken and burnt stone but produced little material. (Coughlan 2010, 5-9)

See the attached plan from Coughlan (2010, fig. 5)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload; 24 March 2022

References

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 Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

Coughlan, T. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Phoenixtown 5, Co. Meath. Licence: E003126. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy