2004:1249 - HARLOCKSTOWN, Meath

At the request of Meath County Council, a programme of excavations was undertaken as part of the N2 Finglas–Ashbourne road scheme in County Dublin and County Meath (Appendix II). Site 19 (previously referred to as Testing Area 19) was located in the townland of Harlockstown, Co. Meath. The site was excavated from 26 January to 11 June 2004 under an extension of the testing licence. The site was first identified by the geophysical survey and subsequently confirmed by testing. It comprised a series of enclosures and possible settlement remains. Excavation of this site was carried out by up to 40 archaeologists, which reduced in size throughout the excavation. Part of the site was found to extend beyond the western limits of the land-take and was therefore preserved in situ outside the road-take. However, the full extent of the site within the development footprint was archaeologically mitigated.

A broad series of prehistoric activity was uncovered across the site. The stratagraphic phasing has revealed at least six periods of activity dating from prehistoric up to modern times. The Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age period is represented by two pits containing quantities of lithics; a further pit and a post-hole were found to contain Beaker pottery. The Early Bronze Age appears to have been a period of major activity at Harlockstown. A large circular ditched enclosure was uncovered in the centre of the site containing two bowl food vessel crouched inhumation burials, as well as at least one pit cremation. In addition, a whole sequence of pits, a large post-hole, a burnt spread, a sunken floor feature, possible floor surfaces and other associated ditches all appear to date to this period. The Middle Bronze Age produced a burnt-mound deposit and a series of pits, while the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age heralded the second major phase of activity on the site. A large D-shaped ditched enclosure was constructed with internal features including a windbreak, bowl furnaces, pits and linear features, a post-hole and spread, hearths, a keyhole kiln, and associated ditches. In addition, a small ring-barrow dating to the Iron Age and containing no evidence of burial was uncovered. Activity seems to have subsequently tailed off at Harlockstown until the medieval period, when a large field-boundary-type ditch was dug across the site. The modern period saw a series of drains inserted running downslope and criss-crossing the site.

Post-excavation work is currently being undertaken. Samples from this site have been selected for dating and post-excavation analysis and it is hoped to have the results in the not too distant future.

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