County: Meath Site name: BRACETOWN 1, BRACETOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A017/006
Author: Linda Clarke, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 702421m, N 742556m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.423167, -6.459003
This site was located within Contract 1 (Dunboyne to Dunshaughlin) of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway and was excavated during August 2005. It was identified by Robert O’Hara during the assessment phase of works in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1191, 04E0489).
During the resolution phase, an area 30m by 30m was stripped of topsoil to expose the truncated remains of a burnt-stone spread, located within the flood-plain of the River Tolka and representing the remains of a fulacht fiadh. It covered an area of 15.25m by 8m and was extremely shallow, varying in depth between 0.05 and 0.25m. Four small shallow depressions were located beneath the burnt-stone spread. No trough was identified and, apart from the occasional fragment of animal bone, no finds were recovered. This spread was partially sealed by alluvial deposits.
