2006:1612 - NAVAN: Sites 2 and 3, Navan Inner Relief Road, Moathill, Meath

Testing was undertaken by ACS Ltd in January 2006 in advance of construction of the next phase of the Navan inner relief road. The testing was completed under licence 06E0024. Three areas of archaeological significance were identified and Arch-Tech Ltd was commissioned by Meath County Council to undertake full resolution. Site 1 was excavated by Antoine Giacometti under licence 06E0274 (see No. 1611, Excavations 2006). Sites 2 and 3 were fully resolved under licence 06E0024.

The results of the excavation of Site 2 indicated multi-phase activity on the site, with part of two separate enclosures being recorded. Only a portion of each enclosure was resolved, as the remainder continued beyond the limit of the proposed road-take and remains preserved in situ. The first ditch was presumed to be circular in shape and was truncated by a larger rectangular enclosure from which a fragment of bone comb was retrieved. The later ditch is presumed to date to the early medieval period. No definite date was attained for the earlier ditch, but it is possible that it was prehistoric in date.

Of the other features resolved, a kiln and a series of parallel intercutting ditches were excavated at the north-east end of the site but yielded no datable evidence.

Site 3 was located to the south of Site 2 and a number of features of archaeological significance were resolved, including part of a probable prehistoric ring-ditch burial with central cremation pit, two kilns and a probable early medieval D-shaped enclosure, with evidence of two highly truncated circular structures within the confines of the enclosure and two kilns outside the perimeter.

Post-excavation works are currently ongoing and reports will be produced in due course.

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