County: Meath Site name: PIERCETOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0468
Author: Aidan O'Connell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 701074m, N 745637m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.451108, -6.478283
An assessment of Testing Area 7 in Contract 1 of the Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme was undertaken on behalf of Meath County Council. Testing Area 7 is located directly east of the existing N3 Dublin–Navan road and south of the R155 Ratoath road. The proposed development at this site is a 1km-long stretch of mainline dual carriageway. The testing 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.
A total of 73 test-trenches, representing 4418.2 linear metres, were excavated for Testing Area 7. This figure represents 12.26% of the total area available for testing.
A single area of archaeological potential was recorded. This was an isolated pit with dimensions of 0.42m in diameter by 0.11m deep. An area of 9.8m by 5.5m was cleared around this feature to ascertain if there were any further pits or post-holes associated with it. As no other features were recorded in the vicinity, the pit was excavated in full and an environmental sample was extracted for analysis. The site has been designated Piercetown 1.
A possible circular enclosure, 10.5m in diameter by 0.3m high, with a possible external ditch 1.8m wide, was recorded in the EIS. A single offset trench was excavated through the south-western side of this potential site. No archaeological features (i.e. a ditch or bank) were recorded in this trench. In addition, there was no surface indication of the potential enclosure site at the time of the assessment.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
