County: Armagh Site name: NAVAN SANCTUARY (environs of), Ballyrea
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: J.P. Mallory, Dept. of Archaeology, Queen's University Belfast
Site type: Excavation- miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 684433m, N 844802m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.344915, -6.701406
The area of the proposed Navan Visitor Centre and access road was stripped mechanically of topsoil. Thirteen trenches, each 10m x 10m, were excavated within the confines of the proposed centre, whilst the entire stripped area of the access road was excavated. Though there were some turfy and charcoal spreads, no archaeologically significant features were discovered, and only a few flints were found: these comprised a core and several flakes, as well as three leaf-shaped Neolithic arrowheads. The latter came from trenches sited along the presumed higher lake edge in the Neolithic. There were also some sherds of Neolithic pottery. Additionally, there appears to be evidence for medieval metal-working in the area, attested by finds of slag and pieces of crucible.
In the car park site, nine trenches, 10m x 10m, were excavated and there were three features of note: soil spreads, a pit and a ditch. The first two could well be modern and the third contained no datable material. Finds comprised a flint flake from Trench 2, and a flint scraper, part of a blue glass bead and a fragmentary penannular brooch.
