County: Meath Site name: ARDBRACCAN (5)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A029/001, E3119
Author: Carmel Duffy, for IAC Ltd.
Site type: Hut site
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 682023m, N 768858m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.663038, -6.758928
This site primarily consisted of three small structures of unknown date and modern plough furrows. There were no archaeological finds and the soil samples have yet to be processed. At the initial stages of the excavation, many features were investigated but have since been determined to be non-archaeological. Three features were of interest, three small structures with cut numbers CO18, CO30 and CO39.
CO18 was a rectangular structure with a general north–south alignment. It was just over 3m long by 2m wide. Its remains consisted of a foundation trench that was present on the south, east and west sides. The north section was absent. The trench was on average 0.2m in width and depth its entire length. Its terminals were rounded and the break of slope ranged from sharp to gradual. It had an uneven base. There was only one fill, compact mottled light-grey and dark-brown silty clay/sandy clay with inclusions of charcoal and pebbles. There were no finds and no evidence of burning.
CO30 was a subrectangular structure in a general north-east/south-west alignment. It was c. 3.5m in length and just under 3m in width. Its remains consisted of a discontinuous foundation trench, due in part to a truncation in its south by a test-trench. However, there was also a gap in both its eastern and western quadrants. It is possible that the eastern gap was an entrance. The foundation trench had a minimum depth of 0.14m, a maximum width of 0.31m and an irregular base. Its fill was a firm, mid-brown with a purple hue, silty clay with occasional small stones.
CO39 was a subrectangular structure in a general north-east/south-west alignment. It consisted of a continuous foundation trench with no break. It was c. 3.5m in length and 3m in width. The trench itself was on average 0.25m in width and 0.2m in depth. The break of slope at the top was sharp and the sides were vertical. The base was uneven. There was no evidence of an entrance way. Its fill was loose mid-brown silty clay with less than 5% small stones. There was no evidence of burning.
There was no direct connection between these features. There were no datable archaeological finds, although a small amount of plastic was found in the fill of CO38 (structure CO30). None of these features truncated, or were truncated by, any of the furrows. Processing of soil samples may enable interpretation.
Ardbraccan 5 was located c. 210m north-east of Ardbraccan 6, a burnt spread (see No. 1491, Excavations 2006).
9 Albert Terrace, Meath Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow
