County: Meath Site name: Berrillstown 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A008/010, E3063
Author: Stuart Rathbone, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda.
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 695832m, N 755919m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.544457, -6.554033
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 Jonathan Dempsey in April 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1184, 04E0417). Full resolution took place in August 2006, which revealed a small number of subcircular pits occasionally associated with stake-holes, and small curvilinear features. The pits were filled with burnt stones and charcoal-rich soils. The site is therefore presumed to be analogous to the commonly identified burnt-stone mound site type, even though no mound of stone was located, nor was any burnt stone present in the topsoil removed from the excavated area. It appears then that this site was not in use long enough for a large amount of burnt stone to accumulate in a mound, although it remains possible that stone is present elsewhere in the field. A large east–west linear feature was also investigated and interpreted as a modern hedge line.
