1996:314 - RATH, Meath

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Meath Site name: RATH

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E0279

Author: Patricia Lynch, for project director Valerie J. Keeley

Site type: Structure

Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)

ITM: E 705076m, N 754225m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.527466, -6.415179

This site (with No. 145, Excavations 1996, Tobertown, Co. Dublin, which lay 0.5km away) was discovered as a result of archaeological monitoring of topsoil removal prior to the construction of the Balbriggan Bypass. The excavations took place on 18–24 October.

The site consisted of a shallow subrectangular trench, on average 0.15m deep x 0.35m wide. The fill was very mixed, ranging from light grey sandy soil to dark grey soil. At the base of the trench there was a discontinuous layer of charcoal-enriched soil. There was no sign of in situ burning. One worked flint core was recovered from the fill.

This site is difficult to interpret as there is no entrance feature to suggest a hut or dwelling structure and there was insufficient charcoal available for radiocarbon dating. The flint core recovered from the fill indicated a prehistoric date for this structure of unknown function.

'San Mateo', Lispopple, Swords, Co. Dublin