2001:990 - KILSHARVAN 5, Kilsharvan, Meath

The site was exposed at chainage 20035, at the eastern edge of the proposed motorway in the townland of Kilsharvan, during monitoring of topsoil-stripping carried out during groundworks associated with the construction of Contract 7 of the Northern Motorway Project.

The site was identified as a middle–late Bronze Age structure, constructed using a number of curved slot-trenches. The roof supports were evidenced by a number of pits/post-holes exposed in the centre of the structure, and a stone floor surface was also exposed to the south. One of the outlying pits is likely to have been used as a hearth, and the large pit F022 probably served as a refuse-pit. A radiocarbon date of 1400–1190 cal. BC was recovered from slot-trench F009, indicating that the structure was in use during that time. It was probably abandoned in the late Bronze Age when the slot-trenches were backfilled.

Five sherds of prehistoric pottery, two fragments of flint débitage and a possible hone or polishing stone were recovered, together with the two broken halves of a late Bronze Age socketed spearhead found within slot-trench F005. Radiocarbon dates of 930–760 and 680–550 cal. BC were recovered from pit F022.