2007:1279 - Castletown Tara 1, Meath

This site was located within Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin–Navan) of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway, was identified during testing by Paul Stevens in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1201, 04E0429) and was excavated between December 2006 and March 2007. The site was located on the southern edge of the flood-plain of the River Skane to the south of a field boundary, and immediately west of the present N3 road, and comprised a series of ditches and drainage gullies, a grain-drying kiln and a small circular stake-built hut. The majority of what appeared to be pit-type features proved to be the result of tree clearance, as did many of the post-holes. Eighteen cremation pits were excavated, many of which contained flint artefacts of apparent Neolithic date. They were located in three distinct clusters: the first a roughly circular setting of 15; the second a squarish setting of four to the south of the first; and the third, to the south-east of the first, just a pair.
Two additional kilns were uncovered just outside of the south-western corner of the original excavation area, enclosed by a curvilinear slot-trench on the eastern side, possibly a windbreak. All three kilns were of figure-of-eight type, of split-level profile with a deeper firing chamber than the drying chamber. Two of the kilns had a curvilinear ‘tail’ emanating from the end of the firing chamber, which is an unusual feature of such kilns. Clearly contemporary, it may have served as a form of draught intake.
Very few artefacts were recovered from the site that would assist with the interpretation and dating of the features, besides the Neolithic flint in the cremations, although a copper-alloy needle and two sherds of imported early medieval pottery were recovered from a two of the ditches and a shallow gully.