County: Meath Site name: Phoenixtown 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A029/008; E3126
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Prehistoric settlement activity
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 679558m, N 770554m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.678662, -6.795773
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 Sian Keith (IAC Ltd) in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1311, 04E0926). It was excavated between 22 January and 2 February 2007 and consisted of a cluster of pits, post-holes and hearths. It was bisected by a modern, north-west/south-east field drain. This field drain also truncated a number of the earlier features. Finds from this site included flint scrapers, flakes and debitage, prehistoric pottery and a grinding/rubbing stone.
A cluster of circular post-holes (averaging 0.4m diameter by 0.2m depth) were located towards the northern end of the area of excavation but formed no obvious structural pattern. Several pits were also excavated. One circular, truncated pit (estimated: 1m diameter by 0.2m depth) contained flint flakes, burnt bone and possible prehistoric pottery sherds. A second pit (1.2m by 0.9m by 0.24m) contained several flints and a grinding/rubbing stone in its brownish/black, charcoal-rich silty clay. Other pits all contained traces of burning and finds such as flint, pottery, and burnt bone.
An occupational deposit (1.7m by 0.68m by 0.09m) was irregular in shape, orientated north-east/south-west, and contained a loose, light-brown, fine sand fill from which pottery and flint were derived. It has been interpreted as a possible occupational layer or deposit.
This work was funded by Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
