2007:1203 - Artoney, Louth Village, Louth

Monitoring was carried out at the site of a proposed residential dwelling in the townland of Artoney, on the western edge of Louth village, Co. Louth, in January 2007. The site was situated on the north-facing slope of a ridge at c. 45m OD. The site was located c. 20m north-west of a motte (LH011–115(13)) and was also partially located within the constraint zone for the medieval town of Louth. The site of the early medieval monastic settlement at Louth, including St Mochta’s House, is located c. 200m to the north of the proposed site.
The site of the proposed development was rectangular in plan, and measured 97m north–south by 27m. During monitoring of topsoil removal, c. 40 potential archaeological features were identified. The majority of the features consisted of circular and subcircular features, on average 0.7m in diameter, the fills containing charcoal and burnt bone. During the subsequent excavation, 36 of the features were confirmed to be archaeological and to consist of pits and occasional post- and stake-holes. The features did not form any structural patterns although two clusters of features were identified. The dispersion of the features suggests it is likely the site extends beyond the area of excavation.
Several of the pits yielded finds, which comprised fifteen sherds of souterrain ware and a fragmentary rotary quern of early medieval date. The upper surface of the quernstone was decorated with a simple cross and had concentric incised lines around its central hole and outer edge. Slag fragments were also found within several of the features, suggesting metalworking had taken place on the site.
The nature of the finds suggests the features contain discarded domestic material and are of early medieval date. The features are preliminarily interpreted to be peripheral features, possibly refuse pits, associated with an early medieval settlement, which would have been contemporary with and possibly associated with the early monastic settlement at Louth.