County: Meath Site name: Chapelbride 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A030/007; E3169
Author: Derek Gallagher, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Prehistoric settlement, two early medieval kilns
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 670666m, N 774737m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.717524, -6.929385
This site was located within Contract 5 (Kells–North of Kells) of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway, was identified during testing by David Bayley of IAC in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1205, 04E1054) and was excavated from 13 October 2006 to 17 January 2007. Chapelbride 4 was situated on a flat plateau between a hill to the south-west and a side of a valley, gently sloping in the direction of Kells to the east.
A circular slot-trench (interpreted as a structure) cut a ditch which represented part of a series of ditches suggesting prehistoric agricultural activity. One prehistoric pottery sherd was located in a post-hole proximate to the structure. Pits, post-holes and linear features were located 5m south of the slot-trench. Ten prehistoric pottery sherds (Late Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age) were recovered from this area. To the west of this area of activity were several discontinuous ditches and a kiln which is probably associated with a ringfort (ME016–026) located at the top of the hill to the south of the site.
To the east of the slot-trench were further discontinuous ditches which formed a D-shaped enclosure, a kiln and several pits of varying size and shape. An extensive area of soil oxidisation, fifteen small stake-holes and five post-holes were also noted; the post-holes were arranged in a semicircular pattern around the stake-holes and the area of oxidisation and probably represent part of a single structure.
