2007:1329 - Townparks, Kells, Meath

Archaeological investigations were carried out at Townparks, Kells, in advance of the construction of industrial units at Kells Business Park. The excavations were carried out in two phases. This summary deals with the results of excavation carried out during Phase 2 in March 2007. The initial stage of Phase 2 was carried out from 5 December 2006 to 4 January 2007 (Excavations 2006, No. 1585). The excavations temporarily ceased in January 2007 but continued for a three-week period on 5–28 March 2007.
In March, the ditch which was sectioned during the initial stage during Phase 2 was fully excavated. The ditch enclosed the hill on which the site was located and was situated within the area enclosed by the palisade excavated during Phase 1 of the excavation. It measured 102m in length and, on average, 1.79m in width and 0.86m in depth. It had an irregular U-shaped profile with steep sides and a concave base. The terminus of the ditch was located on the north-west side of the site and on the western side of the hill, where it was orientated north-west to south-east. The ditch was not concentric with the palisade. Unlike the palisade enclosure the ditch did not enclose the southern side of the hill in an arc. At the western side of the site the ditch terminus was located 12m directly east of a possible entrance in the palisade enclosure. On the southern side of the hill the distance between the two enclosing features measured 20–22m, decreasing to 11m at the eastern limit of the site. The curve of the ditch was more angular in plan than the arc of the palisade enclosure. By projecting the line of the palisade it is possible to establish that the two features would overlap beyond the eastern limit of the site if the palisade continued eastwards. A small quantity of animal bone was recovered from the upper fills of the north-west segment of the ditch. More importantly a single blue glass bead was recovered from the base of the ditch, which suggests a date range from the Bronze Age to the early medieval period for this feature.
Without dating evidence it is not yet possible to determine if any of the areas or features excavated during both phases of the excavation are contemporary, or their functions related to each other. The ditch and the palisade are not concentric and the projected line of both features reveal they would overlap at the south-east side of the hill they enclose. It is also possible that associated features survive on the summit of the hill, which lies beyond the northern limit of the excavation.
Post-excavation work is presently ongoing. Specialist macrobotanical, microbotanical and radiocarbon analyses and specialist analysis of the finds will provide additional information regarding the function, date and phasing of this site.