County: Offaly Site name: Moyally 3
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A016/047; E2674
Author: David Bayley, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Possible cremation pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 621060m, N 737443m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.386734, -7.683415
Testing was carried out as part of an archaeological mitigation programme associated with the N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone dual carriageway. The site was identified during testing undertaken by Fintan Walsh of IAC Ltd in August 2005 (A016/029). The site was excavated in February 2006. An excavation area measuring 30m by 20m was opened.
The site comprised one small pit that contained charcoal-rich silty clay and some heat-affected stone. The pit was 1.05m in length, 0.58m in width and 0.28m in depth. It was orientated north-east/south-west. No function could be determined for it. The remainder of the activity on site was all deemed to be post-medieval in nature. It comprised three north-east/south-west-oriented linear features that were probable boundaries or cultivation furrows and eight north-west/south-east-oriented linear cultivation furrows. Further features included two pits, possible bush boles (which were cut into one of the north-east/south-west-oriented furrows) and a small charcoal spread, all of which were probably caused by field clearance burning. Finds included a single iron object and several pieces of clay-pipe stem.
This work was funded by Westmeath County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Editor’s note: Although excavated during 2006, the report on this site arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
