County: Meath Site name: LISDORNAN 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0625
Author: Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site, Enclosure and Pit
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 712495m, N 767777m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.647664, -6.298443
This site, a middle–late Bronze Age settlement site, was exposed in the townland of Lisdornan close to the Lisdornan Road and to the townland boundary with Moorechurch at chainage 14855 during monitoring of topsoil-stripping during groundworks associated with the construction of Contract 7 of the Northern Motorway Road Project (01E0090).
On excavation, four post-holes representing a hut, two possible fence lines and two refuse-pits were exposed. The hut site was identified as four post-holes within the natural orange clay, stone and gravel that probably represent internal roof supports around a possible hearth. A radiocarbon determination of 2830 ± 40 BP (1100–900 cal. BC) was obtained from the fill which dates from the middle–late Bronze Age. The two pits exposed to the north of the site probably represent refuse-pits associated with the settlement to the south.
The function of the two ditch features is unknown but it is possible that they may have been shallow slot-trenches forming fence lines. The north–south ditch was filled with a compact light brown sandy clay and a secondary fill that filled the southern portion of the ditch for 5.5m of its length. This material consisted of a dark grey silty clay which was dated to the middle–late Bronze Age, 3000 ± 60 BP (1420–900 cal. BC). Similar huts and fence lines have been exposed at Curraghatoor, Co. Tipperary, and at Lough Gur, Co. Limerick.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
