2007:1889 - Creggan Lower 1, Westmeath

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 August 2005 (A016/029).
The site was excavated in January 2006. Two excavation areas measuring 22m by 20m and an extension of 4m by 10m were opened.
Creggan Lower 1 consisted of 25 post-holes and their various fills. The post-holes varied in size and depth but fell into two main size ranges. The first group averaged 0.2–0.3m in diameter with a depth of 0.15m; the second group averaged 0.5m in diameter and 0.2–0.4m in depth. These post-holes were generally uncomplicated in their stratigraphy, with just one main fill.
Apart from suggesting that a probable prehistoric structure would have stood on Creggan Lower 1, the post-holes offer us little by way of shape or layout. They were randomly spread over an area some 6m north–south by 5.5m, with a few large examples more isolated from this area between 3m and 7m to the north and north-east.
Several large pits were also recorded. The most intricate was a large figure-of-eight-shaped pit (1.8m long by 1.3m wide by 0.6m deep) with complex stratigraphy including one possible recut. The charcoal-rich fills produced finds of possible worked chert pieces and a number of pottery sherds. The site produced a small assemblage of 50 sherds (plus 27 fragments) from at least five possible late Bronze Age domestic vessels, as well as some worked lithics and a piece of worked antler.
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.