Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

A geophysical survey by Bartlett-Clark (2002) in advance of the M3 motorway noted anomalies which targeted archaeological testing (04E0580) by N. Fairburn (2004) at Testing Area 7 could identify as archaeological features (excavations.ie 2004:1190). A large area of 3.2 ha was fully resolved (E003107) within the road-take by L. Clarke and T. Connell jointly over ten months beginning in June 2006 as Boyerstown 3 (excavations.ie 2006:1518; 2007:1269) as two archaeological areas separated by a NNE-SSW current field bank and drain, Area 1 to the SE and Area 2 to the NW.

The principal findings are a series of subrectangular fields with rounded corners dating from the seventh to ninth centuries AD that are associated with a circular enclosure (ME025-088001-) which was almost completely outside the excavated area at W and is probably a rath. The remains of a second circular enclosure (ME025-088002-), also probably a rath, were within the excavation but it was so truncated that its context is difficult to establish. A small circular structure (ME025-088004-) outside the fields at S and four cereal-drying kilns (ME025-088003-) are closely contemporary but a Bronze Age hut-site (ME025-088006-) in a palisaded enclosure (ME025-088005-) are also recorded outside the field system at SE.

RATH: Situated on a local height on a slight N-S ridge. In Area 2 a circular enclosure (int. diam. c. 22m) defined by a single fosse was detected in the gradiometer survey and it is largely preserved outside the road-take but a section (L 10m) of the fosse (Wth 1.8m; D 0.8m) was excavated at E. It had three layers, each with animal bone and cremated bone. A piece of charcoal from a deposit of cremated bone in the basal deposit yielded a C14 date of 434-644 cal. AD (Beta 247211). The fosse was cut by two linear features, both with cremated bone. (Clarke 2009, 18-19)

See the attached plan from Clarke (2009, figs 11, 18) _01 site plan; _02 excavated portion of ditch;

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 11 April 2023

Clarke, L. 2009 M3 Clonee-North of Kells. Contract 3 – Navan Bypass. Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Boyerstown 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003107. Final Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy