County: Meath Site name: MOYNAGH LOUGH, BRITTAS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E000377
Author: John Bradley, Department of Modern History, NUI Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Mesolithic (8000 BC-4001 BC)
ITM: E 681733m, N 786015m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.817228, -6.758778
Excavation work, financed by the National Committee for Archaeology of the Royal Irish Academy, focused on an area of Later Mesolithic activity sealed beneath the early medieval crannog. The principal features were two subrectangular platforms arranged roughly at right angles to one another and separated, at their nearest point, by a distance of just over 2m. The platforms rose directly from a layer of brushwood-strewn, brown, open-water mud, with high concentrations of hazelnut shells. There was evidence of the presence of a third platform further to the west.
Platform 1
Three sides of a subrectangular platform were exposed. It averaged 5.5m wide, had a maximum exposed length of 8.3m and rose to a maximum height of 0.75m above the open-water mud. Excavation revealed that there were at least three levels of occupation, separated by thin layers of peat, suggesting that the site was returned to periodically. Only the uppermost level was investigated. A total of 56 post-holes and two pits were identified. The post-holes did not form any obvious, regular pattern, but at one point a group of at least fifteen were arranged in a C-shape with maximum dimensions of 3m x 1.2m. A series of timbers protruded from beneath the platform, but it has not been established whether these were foundation material or the result of natural growth. At the narrowest point between Platforms 1 and 2 patches of gravel and a group of timbers were present. These appear to have been deposited with the aim of creating a 'stepping-stone' between the two platforms.
Platform 2
Two sides were exposed of a subrectangular platform with maximum dimensions of 7m x 8m; it rose to a maximum height of 0.65m above the open-water mud. At least two phases of occupation were identified. Examination of the uppermost level revealed two post-holes. A sample of the charcoal-flecked mud from this platform provided a radiocarbon date of 5270±60 BP (c. 3320 bc, calibrated 4313-3980 BC; GrN-11443).
Platform 3
There appears to be a third platform c. 17m west of Platform 2. The evidence consisted of a thin, charcoal-flecked band, with maximum exposed dimensions of 4m x 3m and varying from 10mm to 20mm thick. One chert blade and two flakes were found in the layer, while ten additional pieces of chert, including four blades, lay in the open-water mud at the same level. It is likely that these derive from an occupation platform immediately to the west. No attempt was made to investigate this further.
Artefactual evidence
The artefacts included three polished stone axeheads, six spearheads of slaty sandstone, five elongated pebbles, nine hammerstones and two polishing stones. Approximately 2000 pieces of chert, flint and other stone were recovered. From a preliminary analysis roughly 200 are implements. The blades fit into a small number of well-defined types, leaf-shaped, pointed, parallel-sided, elongated and irregular, while among the flakes the most distinctive form is quadrilateral with an oblique distal end. One bone point and an elongated wooden object were found. Among the animal bones, boars' tusks were noted, suggesting that pig was a source of meat.
