County: Meath Site name: SHEEPHOUSE: Site 23
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0907
Author: Dermot Nelis, IAC Ltd.
Site type: Kiln and Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 705079m, N 774311m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.707905, -6.408358
Site 23, Sheephouse, was identified during monitoring along the route of the Northern Motorway, Gormanston–Monasterboice, Contract 7. The site is at the southern end of a field close to the road between Oldbridge and Sheephouse townlands. Excavation began on 4 December 2000 and was completed on 5 January 2001. The area of excavation measured approximately 130m (maximum) east– west by 10m.
A bowl-shaped cut was located at the eastern end of the site. Its recorded length was approximately 0.8m east–west, and it was 0.7m wide and 0.3m deep. The primary fill was a scorched red clay, lining the base of the feature. The upper fill was a reddish silty clay with moderate inclusions of charcoal. It is suggested at this stage that this feature represents the remains of a kiln showing the characteristic shape and evidence of intense burning. A lack of recovered artefacts makes dating difficult, however.
The western end of the feature was truncated by a linear cut approximately 0.9m in length north–south, 0.5m wide and 0.3m deep. The fill was a friable mid-brown silty clay. There were no recorded inclusions or finds.
A series of irregularly shaped pits was also found spread throughout the excavation area. These features failed to reveal any stratigraphic relationships beyond being sealed by topsoil and cutting geologically deposited layers.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing. The project was funded by Meath County Council.
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