Structure

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, an arc of a ditch and this concentration of pits, postholes and stakeholes were recorded, but the features are not contemporary. This is a cluster of postholes, stakeholes and three pits in a confined area (dims c. 4m NE-SW; c. 4m NW-SE) where two stakeholes, two postholes and a pit form a NE-SW line with a second line extending SE from its centre composed of two postholes, two pits and a stakehole. Three postholes could form another NE-SW line at its S end centred on the largest pit (dims 0.86m x 0.33m; D 0.2m), creating a H-shaped feature. Seven sherds of Early Neolithic pottery from the same vessel were recovered from one of the pits and a single sherd came from one of the postholes that also provided a C14 date of 2574-2474 cal. BC (UBA 11128), which is too late for the pottery. A sample of hazel from another of the postholes yielded a determination of 1493-1326 cal. BC (UBA 11127), so the possible structure is not from a single period and the discerned pattern may be illusory. (Duffy 2010, 6-9)

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

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 25 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 Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy

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 Unpublished report, Irish Archaeological Consultancy