2002:1509 - RATHMULLAN, Meath

Excavations were carried out at the IDA Business Park, Rathmullan, after testing of the site (25.5ha in extent) and monitoring of the topsoil-stripping for the site compound and Phase 1 of the roads (see No. 1508, Excavations 2002, 02E0183). Three of the areas excavated (A, B, D) were within the road-take, and the fourth, Area C, was to the east of the road.

Rathmullan is at the eastern end of the Boyne Valley and overlooks Drogheda to the east, the high ground of Tullyesker, Red Mountain and Coolfore to the north, and Drybridge, the location of the new bridge over the Boyne, to the north-west. It is bounded on the south by the Drogheda–Donore Road and on the west by the M1 motorway. Significant archaeological sites were uncovered on both sides of the Boyne during the construction of the M1 motorway; six of these were in the immediate vicinity of the business park. They ranged in date from the Neolithic (c. 4000 BC) to the early historic period (AD 900).

Area A
Area A was on a natural rise in the landscape that sloped gradually to both north and south. It measured 24m north–south by 20m. Fourteen features were noted during the topsoil-stripping for the road, one of which later proved to be non-archaeological. These comprised pits, post-holes, stake-holes and burnt spreads. Two of the pits had heavily burnt material in their fill. One pit had four stake-holes at its base and was dug into a second burnt pit, which was alongside a backfilled watercourse. No diagnostic material was recovered, but samples have been taken for radiocarbon dating. Burnt material, including animal bone, teeth, burnt stone and wood, was evident at the base of the adjacent gully. This material was well preserved owing to the waterlogged conditions. The watercourse itself was a natural feature; it was very deep (over 1.8m) and filled very rapidly with water. It did not require full excavation and has been preserved in situ. Another pit with burnt fill was situated c. 3m north-west of this feature and contained a similar fill of burnt stone and charcoal.

Two post-holes near to one another were excavated. They contained similar grey clay deposits with flecks of charcoal. Unfortunately no diagnostic finds were found in either of these features, so analysis of their fills will need to be carried out. A pit with a grey clay fill produced animal teeth, charcoal, one flint scraper and one flint flake. Only one hearth feature and one burnt spread were recorded in this area. Overall, the finds and features suggest a Bronze Age date for the site.

Area B
Area B, 10m north of Area A, measured 115m north–south by 20m; it sloped gently from south to north and then more steeply at its northern end. It was noted during excavation that the northern end was particularly water saturated and that it had possibly undergone some form of land reclamation.

Initially twenty features were identified in this area. Twelve were considered to be archaeological, comprising pits, a post-hole and a hearth. The other eight consisted of glacial features, drainage systems and field boundaries.

Two of the pits contained Bronze Age pottery, one with most of a pot, as well as a quartz pebble, burnt bone and flint artefacts. Although the burnt bone noted in these features was not of a high concentration, its association with Middle and Early Bronze Age pottery sherds suggests token burial deposits. However, this bone has yet to be positively identified as human. Also contained within these features were flint artefacts, including a thumbnail scraper, a flint blade, waste flakes and a possible stone axe, which was severely damaged at the blade end. The pottery, flint implements, burnt bone and charcoal samples await specialist analysis. The location of these pits at the western edge of the area suggests that more features may remain outside the road-take.

The remaining seven pits noted in this area were similar to each other, with relatively inorganic fills. In some cases these contained flint tools, e.g. a thumbnail scraper, a flint core and a possible worked chert. Small quantities of burnt bone and charcoal were included in these deposits. One post-hole and one possible hearth were also uncovered.

At the northern end of the area, in the lower-lying ground, a deep pit was excavated. This appeared to have functioned as a well or sump into which a shallow gully channelled water. When emptied of the fills, which had blocked it completely, it filled with water quite rapidly. Initial inspection showed that some of the fills contained snail shells, indicating that the feature had silted up and was not entirely backfilled as one operation. Wood taken from it had been worked and will be dated in due course. One piece has been identified tentatively as a medieval barrel spigot.

The other features investigated in Area B included modern drainage systems, field boundaries, furrows and natural glacial formations. The furrows indicate that the area was intensively farmed, resulting in the truncation of all of the features.

The diagnostic material in Area B appeared to suggest Bronze Age activity incorporating ritual and burial practices. Some of the undiagnostic features may relate to domestic activity that is not necessarily of Bronze Age date. As all of the features had been truncated by later ploughing, it was not possible to relate them stratigraphically.

Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14