County: Meath Site name: RATHMULLAN: Site 9
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0390
Author: Dermot Nelis, IAC Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 706648m, N 773759m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.702630, -6.384798
A three-week excavation was carried out on Beaker and post-medieval features in advance of the Northern Motorway, Gormanston–Monasterboice, Contract 7.
The site was immediately north of the Donore Road to the south-west of the way-leave of the motorway. The area of excavation measured approximately 19m north–south by 19m (maximum). The site was on flat ground, which sloped off to the east of the excavated area. The areas surrounding the site were stripped of topsoil and were found to be of no archaeological significance. Prior to excavation the site consisted of agricultural land.
Excavation began on 23 April 2001 and was completed by 16 May 2001. All features were excavated down to the natural subsoil. The earliest evidence for activity on the site consisted of a pit in the north of the site. It measured 0.63m south-west/north-east by 0.51m and 0.18m in depth (maximum). It was an isolated feature and cut the natural subsoil. It was suboval in plan with a sharp break of slope; it was vertical-sided in the south and south-west, and more gradual in the east, west and north-west of the feature. The base was flat with a slightly undulating bottom. It was filled primarily with a thin deposit of a compact mid-grey silty clay, with inclusions of small pebbles and charcoal flecking. The secondary and main fill consisted of a compact mottled blackish-brown silty clay, with occasional pieces of decayed sandstone and mudstone. Finds from this fill included numerous sherds of Beaker pottery, five flint scrapers (two burnt) and a hammer-stone.
A further four pits were excavated to the south-west of the above feature. These did not contain such diagnostic material, but the nature of their fills suggests that they were prehistoric. They could not be stratigraphically linked, and cut the natural subsoil only.
The third phase of activity incorporated the remains of post-medieval/modern drainage and agricultural activity. All features cut the natural subsoil.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing. The project was funded by Meath County Council.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
