2006:1585 - KELLS: Kells Business Park Extension, Townparks, Meath

Phase II investigations were carried out at Townparks, Kells, in advance of construction works for industrial units. The excavation took place over a period of four weeks during December. The site was identified during monitoring of topsoil-stripping carried out after Phase I of the excavation of a palisade feature and associated activity (see No. 1584, Excavations 2006). The palisade was composed of 88 post-holes and formed a broad arc surrounding the base of a low hill from west to south-east. The archaeology resolved during Phase II was located within an area that measured 85m east–west by 35m, on the gentle southern slope of the hill. The site was composed of three areas of archaeological activity on the southern slope of a low hill. An enclosing ditch, located 20m inside the palisade, was also investigated.

Area 1 was located on the western side of the site and measured 11m north–south by 12m. The archaeological features consisted of two linear pits, five irregular pits and two stake-holes. The pit fills were sterile and were composed of loose sandy clay with frequent stones. These features appeared to be associated with modern agricultural practices.

Area 2 was located on the southern side of the site. Eight pits were located inside and in proximity to the palisade feature. A further two small pits were located c. 9m outside the palisade. The pits were largely subcircular in plan and measured 0.3–1m in diameter and 0.05–0.4m in depth. Many of the fills contained charcoal inclusions.

Area 3 was located in the north-east corner of the site and consisted of a dense cluster of twenty pits and approximately 85 stake-holes found within an area measuring 12m east–west by 7m. The majority of the stake-holes were broadly located within a central area outlined by the pits. Finds retrieved from this area included approximately twenty sherds of Neolithic pottery and a chert blade, thus indicating a Neolithic date for this activity (P. Woodman, pers. comm.). A significant number of the features contained burnt bone and had charcoal flecks within the fills. The majority of the pits were circular or subcircular in plan and measured 0.2–0.9m in diameter and 0.1–0.4m in depth. However, a rectangular pit measuring 1.5m in length, 1m in width and 0.15m in depth was excavated on the eastern side of the above cluster of features. The fill contained burnt bone and charcoal.

The enclosing ditch, the western extent of which was recorded during Phase I of the excavations, was located c. 20m inside the palisade feature and measured 83m in visible length. It was found to continue eastwards around the southern side of the hill and continued beyond the eastern limit of the site, where the subsurface remains probably survive in a greenfield that is currently under pasture. Four sections measuring 2–3m in length were excavated through the ditch, one at each end and two along the central portion. In total, 7.54% of the ditch has been excavated at present. Investigations revealed that the ditch appears uniform along its length and measures on average 1.5m in width and 0.6–0.75m in depth. The fills are also very similar and are composed of four to five deposits of silty clay. No finds have been recovered from this ditch. The next phase of excavation will focus on excavating this feature.

Post-excavation work for Phase II is ongoing at the time of writing. Without dating, it is not yet possible to determine if any of the above areas or features are contemporary. The ditch and the palisade are not concentric and the projected line of both features reveal they would overlap at the north-west and east-south-east of the hill. Areas 1, 2 and 3 appear to be unrelated to each other. It is, however, likely that the features excavated in Area 2 are associated with the palisade feature, given their proximity to it. The Neolithic activity in Area 3 did not contain a hearth and therefore may not be easily assigned a domestic interpretation. It is possible that associated features survive beyond the limit of the excavation to the north. However, the majority of the sherds of pottery were recovered from the stake-holes and may be interpreted as deliberate deposition. Specialist macrobotanical, microbotanical and radiocarbon analyses will provide additional information regarding the function and date of this site.

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