County: Meath Site name: BARONSTOWN (1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A008/017, E3070
Author: Steve Linnane, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 694331m, N 759385m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.575869, -6.575622
This site was located within Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin to Navan) of the proposed M3 Clonee to north of Kells motorway and was identified during advance testing by Linda Clarke in April 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1180, 04E0423). Full resolution of the site began in August 2006 and is still under way. Excavation to date has revealed an enclosure complex with a round house and several cereal-drying kilns. An outer ditch encloses a ringfort, a C-shaped enclosure and several intercutting enclosure ditches. Finds are limited to three bone pins (only one complete), six small iron knife blades, a ring-pin shaft and a bronze penannular brooch with zoomorphic decoration. A small amount of worked flint attests to the possibility of prehistoric activity within the vicinity of the site. Animal bone is plentiful.
21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda
