County: Meath Site name: Johnstown 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A017/020, E3042
Author: Holger Schweitzer, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda.
Site type: Kilns
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 695643m, N 751549m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.505232, -6.558217
This site was located within Contract 1 (Dunboyne to Dunshaughlin) of the proposed M3 Clonee to north of Kells motorway and was identified during advance testing by Eamon Cotter in March 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1253, 04E0476). Full resolution between January and March 2006 revealed three kilns. These comprised two bowl hearths, with a connecting flue, truncating a simpler single bowl hearth. The preceding kilns constituted two bowl hearths with a connecting flue. Excavation also revealed two bowl furnaces, one of which contained burnt bone, while the other contained slag and possible bog iron and may therefore represent a roasting pit for iron production.
