Metalworking site

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. Two pits (dims 1.05m x 0.9m; D 0.1m: 0.65m x 0.6m; D 0.1m), the first just 4m SE of the burial ground, the second 7m to the N had fire-reddened bases and were filled with charcoal-rich soils, although with no slag. Nevertheless, they are thought to be furnace bottoms and a sample of hazelnut shell from the smaller returned a C14 date of 396-202 cal. BC (UB 12078). Other charcoal-rich pits (dims 0.4m x 0.2m; D 0.9m to 0.89m x 0.53m D 0.11m) are thought to be related to the late Iron Age metalworking. One pit produced a blue glass bead, and a sample of ash charcoal from this context provided a C14 date of 46 cal. BC – 56 cal. AD (UB 12075). (Kelly 2011, 6-8)

Further metalworking was conducted c. 5m SW of the S furnace bottom. A large furnace pit (dims 2.2m NE-SW; 1.6m NW-SE; D 0.88m) undercut a furnace bottom (diam. c. 0.3m; D c. 0.3m) at its SW end. The furnace had three fire-reddened clay layers around it, and a slag-tapping arch in its base. The undercutting pit was deepest at NE end and may have been adapted from a corn-drying kiln. A sample of barley from a basal charcoal-rich layer at the NE end yielded a C14 date of 427-554 cal. AD (UB 12079). Above these the pit was filled with layers of iron slag and charcoal interleaved with layers of sandy clays. A lens of charcoal consisting solely of oak returned a radiocarbon determination of 257-554 cal. AD (UB 12077) which is thought too early and is probably a manifestation of old oak (ibid. 8-12). Three other large pits (dims 2.5m x 2.2m; D 0.15m: dims 3.25m x 1.72m; D 0.18m: dims 1.9m x 0.9m; D 0.29m) cannot be connected to other features through stratigraphy but all had some animal bone. A knife blade and two pieces of slag were recovered from one of these pits (Kelly 2011, 12-13).

Dee the attached site-plan from Kellly (2011, fig. 6)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 March 2022

References

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

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