Pit

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a gently undulating landscape. 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 (E003122) by C. Duffy (2010) as Grange 4 in June to August 2006 (excavations.ie 2007:1323) when just over 2,100 square metres were opened and two Neolithic pits, a curved ditch and a concentration of pits, postholes and stakeholes were recorded, but the features are not contemporary. A large pit (dims 2.35m NW-SE; 1.65m NE-SW; D 0.55m) with an irregular base had four fills of grey/brown silts and clays from which nine sherds of Early Neolithic ware representing at least four vessels, two possible stone beads, five pieces of chert and one of quartz were recovered. A smaller pit (dims 1.26m x 0.82m; D 0.18m) cut the larger at its S end but only produced one sherd of pottery. An examination of the plant remains indicated only oak. A pit (dims 0.94m x 0.85m; D 0.14m) was 2m to the SE of the large pit and a posthole and stakehole were 2m to the NW. These features probably played some role in relation to the large pit. (Duffy 2010, 5-7)

See the attached plans from Duffy (2010, fig. 6)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 25 March 2022

References

Duffy, C. 2010 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 4, Navan to Kells and Kells Bypass. Final Report on Archaeological Excavation of Grange 4, Co. Meath. Licence: E003122. Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy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 Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy