County: Meath Site name: Newrath Little 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A029/035; E3155
Author: James Kyle, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Pits, post-holes, hearth
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 672877m, N 775937m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.727999, -6.895619
This site was located within Contract 4 (Navan–Kells and Kells bypass) of the M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme and was identified during testing carried out by Shane Delaney (IAC Ltd) in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1306, 04E0914). It was excavated between 5 and 30 March 2007 and comprised four separate areas, A–D.
Area A contained two possible pits and a possible hearth, which did not produce any diagnostic material and they did not appear to be related. It is possible that they may have been the remains of some form of habitation activity on site which had been badly truncated by later agricultural practices. Archaeological activity in Area B comprised a burnt spread, several small pits/post-holes which did not contain any diagnostic material, a possible disturbed cremation pit which yielded a significant quantity of burnt bone and also a piece of clay-pipe stem. A further pit with several sherds of prehistoric pottery was also noted. Post-medieval agricultural features were also noted. Area C comprised one possible pit, which produced no diagnostic material and may not be archaeological in nature. Area D comprised one possible pit, which produced no diagnostic material, and again it is as yet unclear whether it is the result of agricultural practices or archaeological activity.
This work was funded by Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
