2001:961 - DONORE 3, Donore, Meath

The site was discovered during monitoring along the line of the Northern Motorway, Contract 7 (Drogheda Bypass). It was in an area of firm ground on a north-facing slope rising up from the River Boyne. When first uncovered by mechanical excavator the site appeared as a scattering of small subsoil-cut features grouped within an area measuring 6m east–west by 9m.

During the initial site clearance and investigation it became apparent that the majority of features initially identified as possibly archaeological were actually of modern origin, most being the result of recent machine activity. Only one feature was of an archaeological nature.

This was a circular pit with a maximum depth of 0.28m and a diameter of 0.73m. It had steep sides and a flat base, giving it a broad ‘U’ shape in profile. The feature was filled with three deposits, all of which contained inclusions of burnt bone and charcoal, suggesting that it may have served as a domestic refuse-pit or even as a token cremation pit.

No other archaeological features or deposits were discovered during the investigation of this site. The pit may represent the remains of a phase of prehistoric activity, the majority of which has not survived in the archaeological record. It is possibly more likely, however, that the pit is related to the large prehistoric enclosure, Site 3 Sheephouse (see No. 1057, Excavations 2001, 00E0811), excavated by Dermot Nelis approximately 40m to the north.