2004:1210 - TESTING AREA 5, CLOWANSTOWN/ROSS/ COLLIERSTOWN, Meath

An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee-North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Dunshaughlin-Navan section (Contract 2) between February and June 2004. This section of the scheme is c. 15.5km long from the townland of Roestown, north-west of Dunshaughlin, to the townland of Ardsallagh, south-west of Navan town. The EIS recommended testing any known or possible sites identified and Meath County Council further proposed to test the whole of the remainder of the route. For the purposes of testing, this section was divided into 26 testing areas. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating 2m-wide test-trenches along the centre-line and perpendicular to the centre-line to the edge of the land-take every 20m. The work was carried out on behalf of Meath County Council, the National Roads Design Office and the National Roads Authority.

Testing Area 5 is located in the townlands of Clowanstown, Ross and Collierstown between Chainages 25400 and 26600. Within this area, 13,768m2 of the total 130,478m2 available was test-trenched, providing an assessment coverage of 10.5%. SMR 38:1 and 38:2 were located within this testing area in Ross. These sites were originally identified from cropmarks on an aerial photograph taken as part of the Cambridge University survey in the 1950s as a circular enclosure c. 30m in diameter and an adjacent field system. The location of this enclosure was set out on the ground during the assessment phase of works. Despite intensive testing (the test-trenches were excavated to three times the standard width), no evidence of this enclosure or any associated features was identified. Drainage features were exposed throughout the field, which would suggest intensive agricultural activity in the post-medieval to modern period.

The remains of a prehistoric/early medieval burial site were recovered at Collierstown 1. The existence of this burial ground was first indicated by the presence of two small mounds (Mounds 1 and 2) that were visible parallel to the north-western field boundary. Two test-trenches were hand-excavated through Mound 1 and it was discovered that it was an earthen mound that was built up on a natural rise within the field. No features of archaeological significance were recovered from this mound and no surrounding features or a ditch were identified.

Three cist burials were, however, identified in the centre-line trench excavated south-southeast of Mound 1. Inhumation burials were contained within two of these cists. The third cist was not disturbed, so no bone was visible. It is likely that an inhumation burial was also contained within this cist. Nine pits, the majority of which contained bone, were exposed in the test-trenches excavated in the immediate vicinity of Mound 1. It is likely that some of these also contained the remains of inhumation burials. Mound 2 was not tested and no features were exposed in the test-trenches excavated in the immediate vicinity of this mound.

Two smaller mounds (Mounds 3 and 4) were also located parallel to the north-western field boundary east of Mounds 1 and 2. These were irregular in shape and not as obvious as Mounds 1 and 2. No features of archaeological significance were exposed in the test-trenches excavated within the vicinity of Mounds 3 and 4. A test-trench was also partially extended into Mound 3, but no features were exposed. The likelihood that Mounds 3 and 4 are associated with burial activity is, therefore, not as high as with Mounds 1 and 2.