County: Meath Site name: Nugentstown 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A029/018; E3136
Author: Patricia Lynch, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Circular structure/settlement activity
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 676346m, N 773105m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.702055, -6.843756
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 Jo Ronayne (IAC Ltd) in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1309, 04E0919). It was excavated between 25 September 2006 and 19 January 2007 and was divided into Areas A and B. Finds recovered included both burnt and unburnt flint debitage, sherds of prehistoric pottery and a glass bead.
Area A was located towards the west end of the site. Its most prominent feature was a circular structure formed by a gully (0.3m wide by 0.2m deep) with two terminating ends in its north-east quadrant. There was only one fill within the cut, a dark-brown sandy silt that contained charcoal flecks and inclusions of small stones. A possible hearth, a north–south figure-of-eight-shaped cut (0.86m by 0.6m by 0.2m), was identified in the north end of Area A. It had two smaller circular features (on average 0.5m by 0.4m by 0.18m) with charcoal-rich, silty sand fills, one flanking the east and the other the west sides; both had concave sides and a flat base. Its fill was composed of loose, charcoal-rich silty clay containing c. 85% large stones. The only other feature of note was a modern east–west drain, located towards the south of the area of excavation, which was intersected by a north–south drain. Two prehistoric pottery sherds represented the only finds from this part of the site and these were recovered from a pit (1.2m by 0.8m by 0.15m) which contained a dark-grey sandy silt with small stones and burnt bone.
Area B was in the eastern side of the excavation area. There was evidence of agricultural activity such as furrows, as well as a modern ditch. A north-west/south-east subrectangular pit (4.65m by 2.5m by 0.6m) was located roughly in the centre of the site. It had gradual sides and an irregular base. Its fill was consistent with burnt-mound material and contained charcoal-rich soil with frequent burnt stones. There was also evidence of in situ burning within this feature.
This work was funded by Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
