Pit

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the N end of a NW-SE ridge (L . 300m) and at its highest point. Archaeological testing (04E0925) by J. Roynane (2005) at Testing Area 2 of Contract 4 of the M3 motorway identified archaeological material (excavations.ie 2004:1245) that was excavated (E003124) by A. Kelly (2011) as Grange 2 in late June/July 2006 (excavations.ie 2007:1321) when two Neolithic pits, a small burial ground, and evidence of metalworking were recorded in an area of just over 800 square metres. A subcircular pit (dims 0.65m x 0.47m; D 0.14m) had two fills of brown silty clays that produced six sherds from at least two Early Neolithic carinated bowls. A sample of carbonized hazelnut shell provided a C14 date of 3654-3527 cal. BC (UB 12074). A circular pit (diam. 0.7m; D 0.5m) 4m to the N is thought to be related as both were within the Late Iron Age cemetery. This pit was lined with stones and was filled with a brown silty clay but the only artefact recovered was a flint flake. (Kelly 2011, 5,6)

See the attached site-plan from Kelly (2011, fig. 6)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 March 2022

References

Kelly, A. 2011 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Grange 2, Co. Meath. Licence: E003124. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

Roynane, J. 2005 M3 Clonee-North of Kells; Contract 4, Navan - Kells and Kells Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 2 in Grange, County Meath. Licence: 04E0925. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy