County: Westmeath Site name: Ardballymore 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A016/068; E2696
Author: David Bayley, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Burnt spreads
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 630230m, N 735912m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.372533, -7.545720
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 Patricia Lynch in July 2005 (A016/029).
The site was excavated in March 2006. An excavation area measuring 15m by 15m was opened.
The site at Ardballymore 1 comprised a shallow pit filled with charcoal-flecked clay with heat-shattered stones. The pit feature was c. 0.75m long, c. 0.6m wide and c. 0.06m deep. No associated structures, pits, hearths, finds or dating evidence was recovered. This pit may represent the remnants of a small, single-use cooking pit.
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.
