Metalworking site

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a gently undulating landscape. An area of sub-surface archaeological features was identified by Ian Russell in centre-line testing (02E0108) for the M4 Dublin to Galway motorway and set aside as Hardwood 3. Excavation (02E1141) revealed four bowl hearths and three other related pits cut into subsoil, although all features were truncated by ploughing. A rectangular charcoal-making pit (dims 2.8m x 1.115m; D 0.27m) with a layer of charcoal at the base produced a C14 date of Cal AD 720-740 and Cal AD 760-960.

The smithing hearths produced a wide range of dates. A small hearth (diam. 048m; D 0.18m) produced a date of Cal BC 380-60 BC, and another (diam. 1.5m; D 0.25m) had a C14 date of Cal. AD 1440-1640. The other hearths (diam. 0.65m; D 0.1m to 1.5m x 0.9m; D 0.45m) contained either charcoal flecks, oxidized clay or metal slag. There were numerous tree-boles and spreads of charcoal that were probably related to the late use of the area as was an L-shaped trench. All the stray finds were post-medieval or modern. (Murphy 2004)

Compiled by: Michael More

Date of upload: 13 August 2019

References

Murphy, D. 2004 Hardwood 3. in Carlin, N., Clarke, L., and Fintan Walsh (eds) 2008 The Archaeology of Life and Death in the Boyne Floodplain: the linear landscape of the M4, Kinegad – Enfield - Kilcock motorway. NRA Scheme Monographs 2, vol. 2.