County: Meath Site name: RATH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1214 ext.
Author: Holger Schweitzer, for CRDS Ltd.
Site type: Sweathouse, Ring-ditch, Barrow - unclassified, Industrial site, Pit and Field boundary
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 704977m, N 754123m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.526570, -6.416706
The site (Site 27) was detected and excavated as part of the archaeological mitigation of the N2 Finglas–Ashbourne road scheme (Appendix II). Excavation was carried out between April and October 2004. The site was located within the townland of Rath, Co. Meath, c. 0.5 km north of Ashbourne to the north and south of the current N2.
The excavation was carried out in an area covering in total 6490m2. Within the excavation area extensive archaeological activity of mainly Bronze Age and Iron Age date was encountered, with the archaeological features spread over the full length of the site and confined within several discrete areas of archaeological activity.
Features uncovered on the site include two possible steam/sweat lodges, four ring-ditches and barrows, industrial activity, three large waterlogged pits and a series of field boundary ditches. The possible steam/sweat lodges were found at the southernmost extent of the excavation area adjacent to a streambed, with a small ring-ditch found nearby. Within this ring-ditch several fragmented faience beads were found, indicating a Bronze Age date. On the highest point of the excavation area three further ring-ditches of varying size and shape were discovered. One of these was a small barrow, which contained extensive burial evidence in the form of cremation deposits and a crouched inhumation. During the excavation of the feet of the burial three copper-alloy rings were found on toes of both feet.
Industrial activity was evidenced by a series of features associated with ironworking and corn processing. Two large waterholes with associated linear ditches, pits and post-holes were excavated to the north of the current N2. Both pits were waterlogged and showed evidence of multi-phased usage and internal post-and-wattle lining. Finds from the waterholes include four wooden vessels and prehistoric pottery. An Iron Age spiral-headed pin was found in one of the linear ditches associated with the waterholes.
Dundrum Business Park, Dublin 18
