Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a small N-S ridge in a gently undulating landscape. 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 (ME025-088003-) outside the fields at S and four cereal-drying kilns (ME025-088004-) 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: Within Area 2 were the remains of a circular enclosure (int. diam. 21.1-22.1m) defined by a continuous fosse (Wth 1.27m; D 0.64m) which was truncated by the NE-SW modern field drain separating Archaeological Areas 1 and 2. The uncut entrance (Wth 2.5m) was at NE, and the fosse produced animal bone, cremated bone, a knife blade and some iron slag but the quantities of charcoal were low. A cow jawbone from the basal fill provided a C14 date of 650-806 cal. AD (Beta 241317). Three pits and fifteen curved linear features were in the interior but it is a moot point whether any are necessarily contemporary with the utilisation of the enclosure. Almost centrally placed within the enclosure two arcs of trenches form an oval enclosure (dims c. 9m NW-SE; c. 7m NE-SW) albeit with wide gaps at NW (Wth c. 4.5m) and SE (Wth c. 3m). A large pit (diam. 2.1-2.15m; D 0.25m) occupies the NW gap and linear trenches create something like a porch at E. A rectangular pit with corner posts is attached externally to one of the slot-trenches, and it is suggested that it may have been used to bend steam-softened timbers. Cremated bone is a recurring element in the fills of these features. (Clarke 2009, 16-18)

See the attached plans from Clarke (2009, figs 10, 17) _01 site plan; _02 rath plan;

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 Services