County: Meath Site name: SHALLON 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0197
Author: Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Metalworking site
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 670067m, N 809344m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.673884, -6.347573
The site was exposed between chainages 18700 and 18600 in the eastern portion of the motorway in the townland of Shallon during monitoring of topsoil-stripping carried out during groundworks associated with the construction of Contract 7 of the Northern Motorway Project.
The site consisted of a single deposit of grey-black clay measuring 1.6m in length, 1.5m in width and 95mm in thickness. Finds from this deposit included a flint blade, nineteen fragments of flint débitage and seventeen fragments of a possible clay tuyère. There was no evidence to suggest in situ industrial activity such as metalworking. The possible tuyère fragments suggest that the material represents a small dump site or deposit, possibly from the site at Shallon 1 (No. 1052 Excavations 2001, 01E0195), which was exposed 64m to the north.
No other archaeological features or deposits were exposed. The evidence does not indicate the presence of a large site within the motorway corridor, but it may be part of a potential site in association with Shallon 1 outside the motorway corridor to the north-east.
21 Boyne Business Park, Drogheda, Co. Louth
