Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

Structure 2 is just 9m S of Structure 1. It is a circular feature formed by an interrupted circle (ext. diam. c. 8m) of nine pits (dims 0.59-0.77m; D 0.47m to 2.2m x 0.61m; D 0.2m) that sometimes intercut each other and within which were seven stake or postholes placed c. 1m apart (diam. c. 4m). The pits were absent SE-SW and an entrance porch (L c. 2.3m; Wth 1m) defined by pits is at W. There were no internal features but the pit on the S side of the porch and that (dims 1.9m x 1.08m; D 0.23m) connecting with it at the SW had a clutch of postholes in their bases. The pit at SW produced four sherds of Middle Bronze Age pottery that could be connected with sherds from its associated metalled working surface. No cereals are noted in the charcoal samples that are dominated by hazel and ash, and a sample of hazel from one of the pits provided a C14 date of 1540-1390 cal. BC (SUREC 29332) that closely matches the date of 1408-1296 cal. BC (UBA 12058) provided by a sample of ash from another pit. A pit (dims 2.03m x 0.52m; D 0.22m) inside the entrance porch contained seven sherds of a domestic cordoned urn and a single sherd of the same type was recovered from one of the postholes. The same N-S post-medieval ditch (Wth 0.9m; D 0.55m) that damaged hut-site 1 also cut this structure.

A large metalled surface (dims 7.2m x 3.9m; T 0.08m) and its extension (dims 3.2m x 2m; T 0.08m) to the SW was just 1.5m SE of the hut-site, and a smaller one (dims 3m x 1.2m) was just to the NE. Eighty sherds of domestic mid to late Bronze Age date wares were recovered from the larger surface or its associated layers, together with 224 pieces of chert and 35 pieces of flint, largely debitage, and all derived from the mid-brown sandy clay covering the work surface. A small quantity of carbonised barley grain provided a C14 date of 433-611 cal. AD (UBA 12052), but the sample must have been contaminated, possibly by the same N-S post-medieval ditch that had damaged structures 1 and 2. Other pits and postholes not directly related through stratigraphy, particularly to the SW could be contemporary, especially when sherds of a domestic cordoned urn were recovered from one of them. (Kelly 2010, 15-24)

See the attached plans adapted from Kelly (2010, figs 6, 9)

ME024-035_1 Site plan;
ME024-035005-_1 Monument plan;

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. 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