1986:78 - NEWTOWNLOW, Westmeath

Excavations have been carried out at Newtownlow in order to elucidate the context of artefacts discovered when the site was partially destroyed in 1982. The work has been financed by the National Committee for Archaeology through the Office of Public Works.

Excavation in 1986 lasted for two weeks and was devoted to clarifying the stratigraphy. The major elements are a black organic midden layer overlying a layer of burnt mineral material, which in turn overlies a level of timbers laid with some regularity. A D-shaped structure, measuring c. 14m x 5m and represented by oak stakes, may be associated with the midden layer. These levels are contemporary with a plank palisade which was probably functional c. AD 1000, the date of a comb fragment which was discovered inside it. Later the palisade was mantled with a layer of stones and the centre of the site was covered with relatively sterile clay. A sherd of green-glazed pottery discovered in the stony layer dates this secondary phase to the late 12th or 13th century. This range of dates is consistent with that of the artefacts which were found before excavation began.