2001:1032 - RATHMULLAN: Site 5, Meath
County: Meath
Site name: RATHMULLAN: Site 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 01E0387
Author: Dermot Nelis, IAC Ltd.
Author/Organisation Address: 8 Dungar Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 706405m, N 774460m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.708975, -6.388235
Site 5, Rathmullan, was identified during monitoring along the route of the Northern Motorway, Gormanston–Monasterboice, Contract 7. The site was approximately midway between the Oldbridge and Donore roads, at the southernmost boundary of Site 4, Rathmullan (see No. 1031, Excavations 2001, 01E0386). Prior to excavation the site consisted of agricultural land.
Site 5 consisted of a shallow subcircular pit (0.68m x 0.48m) with a recorded depth of 0.14m. The north and south sides of the pit were quite steeply sloped, while the east and west sides were more gently sloped. They broke into an uneven, stony base. It was filled with a grey-brown silty, slightly sandy, friable clay that contained some orange mottling. It also contained occasional flecks of charcoal and quite frequent small subangular stone inclusions. A diamond-shaped worked stone was recovered from the fill.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing. This project was funded by Meath County Council.