County: Meath Site name: ASHBOURNE BUSINESS PARK
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1715 ext.
Author: Stephen J. Linnane, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 705328m, N 753672m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.522449, -6.411567
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping was undertaken at Ashbourne Business Park. Previous development at the site had revealed two cremation pits and a hearth.
Test-trenching had previously been undertaken in the area in an attempt to find a possible rath or ringfort, the existence of which was indicated by a diversion in the Rath road as illustrated in the first-edition 6-inch OS map (Excavations 2003, No. 1348, 03E1748). It was thought that the diversion must have been caused by an obstacle that was still extant when the road was first laid out. The trenches revealed no features of archaeological significance, but monitoring of topsoil-stripping was recommended for this area in an additional attempt to locate the suspected rath.
During monitoring, no indication of the suspected ringfort was detected, but a cluster of three features was noted in the northern part of the stripped area. Two of these were pits containing heat-fractured stone and were considered to be of archaeological significance.
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping will continue as and when development expands into other areas.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
