Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

A substantial ditch (Wth 3.5m; D 1m) describes a U-shape (int. dims 37m NW-SE; 32m plus NE-SW) and extends outside the excavated area to the N. A copper alloy pin was found in its upper layer but most of its fill was sterile clay and contained very little animal bone. The faunal remains were dominated by cattle meat bones and peripheral waste, indicating that they may have been slaughtered nearby. A sample of a cow bone from the lower fill recorded the C14 date of 669-772 cal. AD (UBA 15476). The E arm of the ditch has a smaller parallel ditch (L 8.6m plus; Wth 0.96m; D 0.27m) just outside it that contained burnt human bone and this was the only context on the excavation where recognizable human remains were recovered. Just to the W an E-W ditch cuts the ring-ditch and N-S ditches connected with this could form another rectangular enclosure (int. dims c. 18m N-S; c. 13m E-W). A fragment of a bone needle and the faunal remains that were dominated by cattle suggest that it might also be early medieval in date, but there is no stratigraphic connection with the U-shaped enclosure.
The W arm of the U-shaped enclosure cut an E-W ditch (L 35m; Wth 3m; D 1m) that tapered off at its E end, perhaps near an entrance gap. It produced a large quantity of animal bone that was dominated by cattle (68%) followed by equal amounts of sheep/goat (14%) and pig (14%). The age of the cattle at 2-3 years suggests that they were raised for meat and were probably slaughtered nearby. Bones of domestic fowl, goose, crow and teal, a wild duck species, were also present. The head of an iron ring-pin that can be dated to the 7th to 9th centuries AD was found in upper fill of this ditch. There was very little grain present and it consisted entirely of barley, a sample of which provided a C14 date of 617-666 cal. AD (UBA 12055). There are some pits N of the E-W ditch including a corn-drying kiln, and these, together with the amount of animal bone present in the ditch indicate that an early medieval settlement enclosure could survive outside the excavated area to the N. Kelly (2010, 35-41)

See the attached plans adapted from Kelly (2010, figs 6, 11)

ME024-035_1 Site plan;
ME024-035002-_1 Monument plan;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 March 2022

References

Kelly, A. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Archaeological Excavation of Grange 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003123. 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