2001:944 - BALLOY 1, Meath
County: Meath
Site name: BALLOY 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 01E0037
Author: Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Author/Organisation Address: 15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 713393m, N 767366m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.643779, -6.285020
The site was exposed at chainage 14050 within the route of the Northern Motorway, Contract 7, during earlier monitoring of topsoil-stripping conducted by Valerie J. Keeley Ltd. Three pits and one stone spread were identified.
The stone deposit measured 0.9m in length, 0.51m in width and 0.04m in thickness, and consisted of a spread or deposit of dark brown clay containing moderate/frequent inclusions of angular stone and isolated charcoal flecks.
The first pit was subrectangular/oval and measured 0.86m in length, 0.68m in width and 70mm in depth (30.924m OD); it had been filled with a dark brown-black clay containing moderate-sized round stones and isolated charcoal flecks. The second pit was oval and measured 1m in length, 0.91m in width and 0.11m in depth (30.784m OD); it had been filled with dark brown clay containing occasional round stones. The third pit was circular, 0.26m in diameter, and extended to a depth of 65mm (30.824m OD); it had been filled with a mid-brown sandy clay.
No further archaeological features or deposits were exposed and no finds were recovered. It is likely that the pits and deposit represent outlying features of a potential archaeological site outside the motorway corridor to the north-west.