2007:1349 - Lismullin 1, Meath

This site, located within Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin–Navan) of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway, was identified during testing by Linda Clarke in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1283, 04E0426). It was excavated between February and December 2007. The site was multi-phased and contained a range of material dating to the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, early medieval, later medieval and post-medieval periods.
A sequence of prehistoric pits was recorded towards the south-east of the site. The three earliest phases are undated but these were succeeded by a crescent-shaped pit associated with the deposition of three sherds of Middle Neolithic broad bowl pottery and five small fragments of bone, possibly human skull. A second, smaller, pit from this phase was associated with a deposit of burnt bone. The next phase consisted of a series of small pits, three of which may have contained wooden posts. A range of round-bottomed Neolithic pottery including Early Neolithic carinated bowls (3850–3700 bc) and Middle Neolithic broad bowls (3500–3000 bc) were found in association with small quantities of possible human bone fragments. These were succeeded by an oval pit containing sherds of Beaker pottery in association with a broken polished Bronze Age macehead. All these pits were sealed by a thin clay deposit that contained fragments of cremated bone, possibly human.
A ring-barrow ditch (external diameter 10–11m; internal diameter 7–8m) with evidence for two recuts was located at the south-eastern corner of the site. No datable material was recovered from the ring-ditch fills and no burial deposits were identified. A series of post-holes was located on the northern side of the ring-ditch but no structural patterns were identified.
A post-built enclosure was excavated at the western side of the site and occupied a saucer-shaped depression in this area. The enclosure comprised an outer double concentric ring of post-holes, 80m in diameter, a centrally placed inner enclosure, 16m in diameter, and an eastern entrance. The posts were free-standing and driven into the ground. The fact that this enclosure is located at the lowest-lying portion of the site may suggest ceremonial rather than settlement activity and the presence of the surrounding ridge of higher ground suggests that the activities carried out in the enclosure interior could be viewed from the outside. Two Iron Age radiocarbon dates have been returned for this enclosure (520–380 bc and 490–460 bc). Numerous pits were also located within this area and sherds of both Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age pottery have been identified. However, it has not been possible to establish any stratigraphic relationships between the enclosure and these internal features. The enclosure did, however, cut through an earlier field system consisting of two parallel field ditches.
Later activity was represented by at least two spreads of what appears to be the remnants of medieval rubbish middens along with cereal-drying kilns, drainage ditches, two disturbed inhumations and a two-chambered souterrain. One of the souterrain’s chambers was capped with a reused passage tomb kerbstone bearing megalithic art.