1996:313 - RANDALSTOWN, Meath

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Meath Site name: RANDALSTOWN

Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 18:26 Licence number: 96E0173

Author: Kieran Campbell

Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous

Period/Dating: Undetermined

ITM: E 685332m, N 772518m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.695392, -6.707863

Archaeological investigations were carried out on a site at Randalstown, Co. Meath, on behalf of Tara Mines Ltd. for the purpose of locating and assessing the nature of subsurface ditches which appear as cropmarks on an aerial photograph (CUCAP, AUF 96). The site, described as 'Rectilinear Earthworks (site)' in the Archaeological Inventory of County Meath, is in one of five fields which may be affected by a proposed extension to a tailings dam. The field in question measures 160m north-south by 140m east-west.

Four possible archaeological features appear to be represented on the aerial photograph.
(A) A double ditch enters the field near the south-east corner and exits midway along the east side.
(B) A single line of ditch runs parallel to A for a distance, with an angled turn west at its south end.
(C) A possible ditch runs parallel to the east, north and west sides of the field and appears to define a large rectangular enclosure.
(D) A single line of ditch crosses the west side of the field from south to north.

Test-trenches confirmed the presence of ditches A and D above. Stone-filled field drains accounted for feature B, and no evidence was found for C, which is probably of recent agricultural origin.

The double ditch alignment A was found to consist of two silted-up gullies set 3.3m apart. The gullies ranged in width from 0.85m to 1.5m and in depth from 0.1m to 0.45m. Land snails were observed in the fills at a number of locations. The only artefact found was a small fragment of bone. The gullies may have been drains on either side of a trackway, although no metalling was apparent. The field boundaries have not changed from those shown on the 1836 OS first-edition 6" map, and it is likely, therefore, that the double ditch/possible laneway pre-dates the layout of the present-day enclosure system.

Feature D was recorded as a small U-shaped ditch, 1.45m wide and 0.4m deep.

6 St Ultans, Laytown, Drogheda, Co. Louth