Burnt mound

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a low-lying, gently undulating landscape. Archaeological testing (06E1231) by A. Collins in advance of a realignment of the R158 road identified a spread of broken and burnt stones (Collins 2008, 19) that was subsequently excavated (07E0161) as Site 13 by E. Larsson (excavations.ie 2007:1312). It proved to be two spreads of burnt mound material (dims c. 8m x 7m; T 0.15: 2m x 1.74m; T 0.1m), probably from the same feature, which were cut by later linear features. These were overlying six small, irregularly-shaped pits (dims 0.5m x 1.1m; D 0.13m to 2.1m x 0.9m; max. D 0.49m) in the subsoil that were filled with silty clays with burnt stone inclusions, and six stake-holes. No trough was recognized and no artefacts were recovered, but a sample of ash charcoal from a narrow channel (dims 1.5m; x 0.54m; D 0.3m) connected to one of the pits produced a C14 date of 2140-1910 cal. BC. (Larsson 2009)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 29 June 2021

References

Larsson, E. 2009 R158 Realignment Scheme, Summerhill to Kilcock. Final Report, Site 13 Ferrans. Licence: 07E0161. Unpublished report, CRDS

Collins, A. 2008 Archaeological Testing Report. R158 Summerhill to Kilcock Road Realignment in County Meath. Licence: 06E1231. Unpublished report, CRDS