County: Meath Site name: CASTLEKEERAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E1056
Author: Gill Mc Loughlin, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Field boundary, Pit and Cremation pit
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 668750m, N 776521m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.733802, -6.958025
Testing was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells road scheme, Co. Meath, on the Kells–North of Kells section (Contract 5) between July and December 2004. This section of the scheme is 10.2km long from Calliaghstown, south-west of Kells, to Derver, north-west of Kells. The testing methodology consisted of a centre-line trench and offsets every 20m. Anomalies identified in the geophysical survey were also tested. The work was carried out on behalf of the Meath County Council National Roads Development Office and the National Roads Authority.
Testing Area 5 is located in the townland of Castlekeeran, between Chainages 84750 and 86250, and 17947m2 of the total 121667m2 within this area was tested, providing a testing coverage of 14.8%. Testing took place between 12 and 20 August 2004.
An oval pit was uncovered (Castlekeeran 1). No datable material was recovered from the fill, but it may be of archaeological potential. To the east of the main wayleave a number of features of archaeological potential were uncovered close to the site of a Bronze Age burial (Castlekeeran 2). These consisted of two ditches, a pit and a possible cremation pit.
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