Excavation - miscellaneous

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a S-facing slope and on the NW side of Main Street. An archaeological rescue excavation and watching brief (E000404) in 1987 uncovered evidence of a medieval building (ME036-048046-) and other features. In the course of the watching brief the NW wall of the new structure was found to be on the line of a large NE-SW ditch (Wth of top 3m plus, D 2.5m) which was sealed beneath 2m of limestone rubble. The ditch was relatively straight-sided with a flat bottom and was filled with a fairly homogenous water-logged brown peat containing animal bones and sheep or goat horn as well as fragments of wood and lenses of straw that were rich in macro-environmental material. No pottery or other artefacts were recovered, which suggests a pre- Anglo Norman date (Walsh 1990-1, 46). The environmental samples support this and suggest that while food waste was being deposited in the ditch, it was in open, fairly wet grassland with some arable in the vicinity (Collins 1990-1, 63-7).
A ditch or pit (Wth of top c. 5m; D 2.1m plus) which produced no dateable material was uncovered in archaeological testing (19E0573) by L. Coen just to the SW (excavations.ie 2019: 245, 602). If it is a ditch it is probably a continuation of this feature. (Coen 2019)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 9 July, 2019
Amended: 30 April, 2021

References

Walsh, C. 1990-91 An excavation at the library site, High Street, Trim. Ríocht na Midhe, vol. 8, No. 3, 41-67.

Collins, B. 1990-91 Environmental report. In Walsh (1990-91) 57-67.

Coen, L. 2019 Trim Cultural & Arts Centre, High Street, Trim, Co. Meath. Archaeological Test Excavation. Licence: 19E0573. Unpublished report, Archer Heritage Planning