Metalworking site

The National Monuments Service's description

Ten pits scattered about the SE end of the excavated area are interpreted as furnace bottoms where iron smelting and smithing was conducted. They are shallow cuts that are usually subcircular (dims 0.5m x 0.39m; D 0.09m; to dims 1.39m x 1.16m; D 0.24m) but linear forms (dims 2.85m x 0.53m; D 0.31m) might be possible. They are rich in charcoal and burnt clay, and are c. 20-30m apart, although two are placed adjacent to each other at one point and placings about 8m distant do arise. One furnace cut through the metalled surface associated with hut-site 1 and another cut through one of the pits surrounding hut-site 2. The smallest furnace was used for smelting and three others have iron slag but all can be confidently described as furnaces based on their morphology and contents. Four radiocarbon dates (UBA 12056, 12057: SUREC 29330, 29333) fall within a tight range of 390 cal. BC to 30 cal. AD. Two other burnt pits (dims 5.45m x 1.5m; D 0.7m: dims 2.1m x 0.48m; D 0.22m) might be considered as furnaces but a sherd of Middle Bronze Age pottery was found in the larger. (Kelly 2010, 30-33)

See the attached site plan adapted from Kelly (2010, fig. 6)

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 Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy