County: Louth Site name: Port Access Road and Trunk Sewer, Drogheda
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E1126
Author: an R. Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda.
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 676844m, N 807380m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.009924, -6.827638
A total of 27 fields were archaeologically assessed for the proposed Northern cross route. All trenches were excavated by machine and measured 2.1m in width. Four archaeological sites were identified within the proposed route. No archaeological features were identified within the route of the proposed foul sewer.
Three of the identified sites were burnt mounds (Yellowbatter 1–2 and Commons 1). Both Yellowbatter 1–2 were exposed within Field 19 and were relatively small in size, measuring a maximum of 9m in length by 7m in width. The burnt mound at Commons 1 in Field 68 was larger in size, measuring 20m in length by 10m in width, and contained an outlying possible pit.
The cemetery exposed at Newtownstalaban 1 contained at least three identified graves together with a further twenty possible graves. Test excavation within the proposed realigned roadway to the north-east did not identify any further trace of the burial-ground or any other archaeological features or deposits or finds. Consequently it is likely that the full extent of the cemetery lies to the west and south-west of the original route.
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