County: Meath Site name: DULEEK: Main Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0654
Author: Eoghan Kieran, for Judith Carroll and Co. Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 704710m, N 768487m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.655661, -6.415905
Test-trenching was carried out on the site of a 2.2ha greenfield site adjacent to Main Street, Duleek, Co. Meath, between 5 and12 May 2004. The investigations were the final part of a pre-development assessment of the site. Twenty-one trenches were excavated throughout the development area, their location primarily dictated by the results of the previous programme of geophysical investigation. Eleven trenches contained archaeological material.
The main areas of archaeological interest appear to be based in the south-east of the development area, with particular concentrations being based in Field 1 and the eastern section of Field 2. Here, a large amount of medieval pottery and articulated animal bones were found within deposits in this area. Enigmatically there was no indication as to the presence of structural remains in the area. In light of this paucity and considering the non-structure-like form of these deposits, it is conceivable that this area was a former dumping ground.
An area of high ground in the southern portion of the development area was also of archaeological importance. This was almost to be expected, given its proximity to the medieval town of Duleek and its strategically advantageous location. The material in this area primarily appeared to take the form of subsoil-cut ditches, both curvilinear and straight, and subsoil-cut pits. It is more probable that this area was one of settlement or industry.
Field 3 did not appear to contain any traces of archaeological material. This is understandable, given that the area has been subject to intensive modern interference, with the deposition of significant amounts of rubbish and topsoil.
210 Silverlawns, Navan, Co. Meath
