County: Meath Site name: RATH HILL (Testing Area 14)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0475
Author: Eamonn Cotter, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Industrial site
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 697016m, N 750096m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.491930, -6.537981
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Clonee–Dunshaughlin section(Contract 1) between February and June 2004. This section of the scheme consists of c. 14.2km of motorway and a further c. 14km of link roads and additional side roads. 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 a 2m-wide test-trench along the centre-line, with perpendicular trenches extending 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.
A total of 86 test-trenches were excavated in Testing Area 14 in Rath Hill townland. The assessment began on March 25 and the bulk of the work was carried out from 23 to 29 April 2004. Four areas of archaeological significance were identified. The first was in Field 166A. It comprised the stone foundations of an approximately circular structure with an internal diameter of 4.4m, a north-facing doorway, and a hearth in the south-west quadrant.
The second area, 30m to the north-west, comprised what seemed to be a late medieval industrial area, with a metalled surface and a spread of burnt soil and charcoal containing pieces of metal slag.
The third area was in Field 166B. It comprised a linear band of heavily oxidised clay, extending northeast/south-west in a band measuring 6.9m by 0.35m and ranging in depth from 0.05m to 0.14m. The material contained several fragments of animal bone and a piece of metal slag. This feature may be related to the industrial area in Field 166A.
Sherds of post-medieval pottery were recovered from all three of the above areas.
The fourth area lay 50m to the west, in Field 166B, and comprised an oval pit with areas of oxidisation and inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal. It may have been a charcoal-production pit associated with smelting activity and may be related to the previous area.
The four areas have together been designated Rath Hill 1.
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