County: Meath Site name: JOHNSTOWN 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1094
Author: Robert O’Hara, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Furnace
Period/Dating: Iron Age (800 BC-AD 339)
ITM: E 677462m, N 740156m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.405854, -6.835026
Excavation was carried out on behalf of Westmeath County Council at Johnstown 3, Co. Meath, before the construction of the M4 Kinnegad–Enfield– Kilcock Motorway Scheme, Contract 2, from 4 to 14 October 2002. The site lay within the grounds of Johnstown House, formerly the O’Rorke’s estate, which dates to the 1750s.
The larger furnace was oval, measuring 0.37m by 0.32m, and was 0.2m deep. It had a sharp break of slope at the top and steep, heavily oxidised sides, leading to a concave base. It contained a single fill of loose, mid-brown/grey clay. This was composed mostly of iron slag (c. 25%) and charcoal (c. 10%), but a significant amount of red/brown clay at the top of the deposit was almost certainly the remains of roofing.
The smaller furnace was a circular cut, 0.26m in diameter and 0.17m deep. It had a sharp break of slope at the top and steep, oxidised sides, leading to a concave base. There was no evidence of a superstructure, and it contained a single fill of loose, dark brown/grey clay composed of iron slag (c. 20%), metal (c. 10%) and charcoal (c. 15%).
There were occasional small, angular stones within the matrix, showing signs of heat fracture. The fill was radiocarbon dated to 420–230 cal. BC.
The bowls occurred as isolated features and did not appear to be part of a larger settlement.
Despite extensive stripping, no further archaeological features were uncovered.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
