2004:1769 - NEWTOWN (2), Westmeath

Excavation of site Newtown 2 in Newtown townland, on the outskirts of Mullingar, was undertaken in May 2004 in advance of the proposed N52 Mullingar bypass. The site lay very close to Newtown 3 (No. 1770, Excavations 2004) and was discovered during testing of the road scheme by Rob O'Hara (No. 1755, Excavations 2004, 04E0249).

The natural topography of the site was an undulating landscape with boggy hollows and drumlins. The site was positioned midway down the east-facing slope overlooking a peat bog to the east and contained two phases of archaeological activity.

Phase 1 consisted of a small irregular burnt-mound deposit consisting of a sandstone-dominated mound of fire-cracked stone spreading down the east- facing slope, mostly towards the boggy ground immediately outside the area of the road-take. The mound measured 11m (north-west/south-east) by 8.5m by 0.1–0.2m in depth.

Phase 2 consisted of a number of post-medieval features: an undated linear stone-lined drain running along the contour of the slope north-east/south-west and cutting a series of parallel furrows cut perpendicular to the ditch. The site was covered by topsoil and peat at the base of the slope, which contained a large quantity of early modern artefacts, including iron slag, nails, 18th- or 19th-century clay pipes, pottery and glass, suggesting a dump of material across the site to increase fertility of the soil, with the artefacts mixed in with compost and refuse. This was also a feature of the topsoil in Newtown 3. However, the presence of iron slag, and especially a plano-convex bowl not seen in Newtown 3, suggests there was an iron smithy very close to the site and may provide clues to the origin of the burnt mound at this site.

21 Boyne Business Park, Drogheda, Co. Louth