County: Meath Site name: Derver 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A030/022; E3184
Author: Derek Gallagher, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Prehistoric occupation site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 666842m, N 779240m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.758487, -6.986338
This site, 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. 1219, 04E1060) and was excavated in April 2007. The site was located at the base of a valley c. 15m from the northern bank of the River Blackwater and consisted of a structure and associated pits and post-holes.
Structure 1 (diameter 9.3m) comprised 38 post-holes (average diameter 0.28m), on average 0.3m apart, with an absence of post-holes on the western side caused by repeated flooding in this area. A further fourteen post-holes (average diameter 0.25m) were located c. 1m south-east of this structure. This second group of post-holes has been interpreted as an annexe to Structure 1.
The second area of activity on Derver 4 was situated at the north-eastern end of the site and comprised two linear features and seven post-holes/small pits. The remaining features on the site included pits and shallow spreads. It is possible that this site is related to the pits and hearths discovered on sites also in the vicinity of the River Blackwater (Derver 6, A030/020, and Derver 5, A030/021, Nos 1298–9 below) and the adjacent townland of Pottlebane (Pottlebane 1, A030/019, and 2, A030/018, Nos 1375–6 below), which appear to reflect temporary campsites or cooking areas near a source of fresh water.
