Enclosure

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.

ENCLOSURE: Structure 1 (int. diam. 9.3-9.4m) is situated in the obtuse angle between ditches of Fields 1 and 2 from the field system. It is defined by a slot-trench (max. Wth 0.37m; max. D 0.53m) with no post or stake-holes in the trench, although some are in the interior where a hearth or charcoal-pit is slightly off-centre. Some sherds of middle to late Bronze Age pottery were recovered from a post-hole near this hearth but they must be residual. The structure has a wide entrance gap (Wth c. 3.3m) at N with two stake-holes at its centre, perhaps indicating a double-leaf gate. A sample of oak charcoal from the slot-trench provides a C14 date of 650-806 cal. AD (Beta 247109).
A figure-of-eight kiln (dims 2.25m x 1.23m; D 0.28) with an oxidised base cuts the slot-trench at NE. A larger figure-of-eight kiln (dims 2.6m x 1.2m; D 0.31m) with three layers of varying amounts of oxidized material was within the structure. A sample of apple charcoal from its topmost fill yielded the C14 date of 685-892 cal. AD (Beta 247108). A line of E-W post and stake-holes just S of this kiln divides the interior into two unequal parts. Features outside the entrance including a hearth mediate the space between this structure which probably supported a wattle hoarding and the rectangular fields. (Clarke 2009, 10-13, 43-4)

See the attached plans from Clarke (2009, figs 9, 14) _01 location; _02 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