1997:434 - SARSFIELDTOWN, Meath

This site was discovered as a result of archaeological monitoring of topsoil removal prior to the construction of the Northern Motorway/Balbriggan Bypass. The excavation took place between 4 and 22 November 1996.

The site was on an area of flat ground on the northern side of a gently sloping hill and consisted of three cuttings.

Cutting 1 contained three pits, and a linear layer of burning to the west of the pits. These pits, which contained cremated human bone fragments, burnt stone and flint fragments, were related to prehistoric activity, most likely some form of burial activity owing to the inclusion of cremated bone fragments. The linear feature is considered to be modern.

The first pit (0.56m in diameter and 0.54m deep) contained three layers. The basal layer, c. 0.25m deep, consisted of a dark black charcoal-rich soil which contained two fragments of cremated human long bone. The middle layer consisted of dark brown material, 0.2m deep, which contained five struck flint fragments. The top layer was a black, charcoal-enriched soil, 0.09m deep, which contained two struck flint fragments, charcoal and burnt stone.

The second small pit (0.45m in diameter and 0.12m deep) contained two layers. The basal layer consisted of dark brown soil containing moderate inclusions of charcoal, small stones and several struck flint fragments. The upper layer consisted of burnt, black soil with charcoal inclusions. Two small fragments of cremated human bone were recovered with nineteen flint fragments, nine of which lay together to the south of the layer. This pit was cut into F13, a curved trench (see below).

The third small, oblong pit contained one layer of burnt, black soil (C4). It was 0.34m x 0.25m wide and 0.09m deep. It too was cut into F13.

F13 was a curved trench which contained two layers. The basal layer consisted of brown soil with stone and gravel inclusions and contained no archaeological material. The upper layer consisted of a dark brown stony soil which was charcoal-stained, especially to the eastern side where it was overlain by C4. This layer also contained no archaeological material.

A linear, ill-defined feature which contained three layers was located c. 12m to the west of the above features. The basal layer contained modern ceramics, metal, glass, flint and bird bones, as well as an animal burrow. This feature was considered non-archaeological.

Cutting 2 was located c. 10m to the west of Cutting 1 and consisted of seven pits. F5 was a small, shallow pit, 0.52m x 0.47m wide and 0.9m deep. It contained charcoal-stained soil, charcoal inclusions and a small amount of cremated human bone. It was slightly cut into on the eastern side by F6, a pit 0.53m x 0.51m wide and 0.15m deep. The fill of F6 consisted of charcoal-enriched soil, large pieces of charcoal, burnt stones and cremated human bone, which had been placed in random deposits throughout the pit. A stone had been placed in the centre of the pit and beneath this was a deposit of cremated human skull fragments and one human tooth root fragment.

F7 was a small pit, 0.47m x 0.51m wide and 0.12m deep, located 0.4m to the south of F6. The fill consisted of charcoal-enriched soil.

F8, a shallow pit c. 0.5m to the west of F7, was 0.48m x 0.37m and 0.08m deep. The fill consisted of dark, charcoal-enriched soil which also contained burnt stone, charcoal and cremated human bone fragments. Several larger fragments of cremated bone were in the upper few millimetres of the fill, although cremated bone ‘dust’ fragments were mixed evenly through the context.

F9 was a shallow pit/depression located c. 0.9m to the west of F8. It was 0.54m x 0.42m wide and 0.16m deep but had no definite edge, except on the southern side. The fill consisted of a mixture of charcoal-enriched soil, orange/brown soil and burnt stones, which were located mostly to the eastern and western sides. It is possible that this feature was a spill of burnt material contained within the stones rather than a defined pit.

F10 was a small pit located 1.2m to the north-west of F9. It was 0.56m x 0.6m wide and 0.11m deep. The fill consisted of very charcoal-enriched soil and a small amount of burnt bone fragments.

F11, a small pit located to the north-east of F10, measured 0.7m wide and 0.2m deep. The fill consisted of very charcoal-enriched soil, small inclusions of burnt stone and, to the southern side of the pit, a small concentration of human cremated bone fragments.

Cutting 3 was c. 87m to the west of Cutting 2 and contained one pit, 0.38m x 0.34m wide and 0.14m deep. The fill consisted of very charcoal-enriched soil which gave the appearance of a ring around the outer edge of the pit. The fill also contained moderate inclusions of charcoal and cremated human bone.

The results of radiocarbon dating have not yet been obtained for the burials, but the characteristics of the burials point to a Bronze Age date.

Editor’s note: This report was not received in time for inclusion in the bulletin for 1996.

10 Ashford Place, Dublin 7