County: Meath Site name: ROSSAN 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1065
Author: Deirdre Murphy, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Pit and Field boundary
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 660554m, N 744272m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.445050, -7.088468
Test-trenching was carried out before construction of the M4 Kinnegad–Enfield–Kilcock Motorway. In February 2002, during centre-line testing of the proposed realignment of the Edenderry Road carried out by Ian Russell (No. 1876, Excavations 2002, 02E0108), a number of possible archaeological features were identified. The site was designated Rossan 3 and was excavated in August 2002. Large areas around the features were stripped of topsoil.
Excavation exposed three pits, one of which contained prehistoric pottery in its fill, as well as irregular linear features containing slag and a post-medieval field boundary. The first pit was subrectangular, measuring 1m east–west by 0.6m, and was 0.15m deep. It contained three fills, including an oxidised layer representing burning at this location. The second pit was subcircular, measuring 0.7m in diameter, and was 0.19m deep. It had two fills containing charcoal, and the primary fill contained sherds of prehistoric pottery. The third pit was cut into the secondary fill of the subcircular pit; it was oval, measuring 0.4m east–west by 0.27m, and was 0.09m deep. The irregular linear features exposed on the site were 0.2–0.6m long and 0.04–0.12m wide and contained metal slag. A ditch containing a stone culvert was interpreted as a field boundary. No further evidence, structural or otherwise, survived that would indicate the type of activity carried out at this site. There was clear evidence of prehistoric activity at this site, and it is possible that further features survive outside the road-take that might shed some light on this.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
