County: Meath Site name: BLUNDELSTOWN (2/3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A008/023
Author: Lydia Cagney, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 691851m, N 762020m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.599977, -6.612288
Excavation of Blundelstown 2/3, situated on one section of the planned M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme, Co. Meath, was undertaken on behalf of Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority. This site was one of the areas identified by Paul Stevens during the testing programme of the Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin to Navan) stretch of motorway in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1188, 04E0428). The excavation was carried out in July and August 2005 and revealed two main areas of activity.
At Site 2 a subrectangular trough and an associated pit were located c. 30m east of Site 3 and may be interpreted as the ploughed-out remains of a fulacht fiadh. An approximately crescent-shaped area to the north of the trough comprising a compact, grey-ash material has been interpreted as the original position of the now-denuded burnt mound.
Site 3 represented the disturbed remains of deposits and a pit associated with burnt-mound activity. No trough was uncovered. A number of flint and lithic artefacts, including a chert scraper, a flint blade/knife and numerous pieces of debitage, were unearthed during the excavation.
21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda
