County: Louth Site name: Mullaghattin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0557
Author: Gillian McCarthy, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 718541m, N 807695m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.004867, -6.191664
Testing was undertaken at Mullaghattin, Co. Louth, to identify geophysical anomalies which were identified on the site of a possible enclosure in advance of a proposed quarry extension. A series of seven trenches were placed across the possible enclosure to target the geophysical anomalies.
Only one of the trenches (Trench 6) did not reveal any features of archaeological significance. The presence of the enclosure ditch was confirmed in five of the seven trenches. It measured 3m wide and 0.8m in depth. Both sides of the enclosure ditch were located in Trench 1 and showed the diameter of the enclosure to be 38m. The absence of the enclosure in Trench 7 may indicate the location of the entrance in the north-west of the enclosure. A number of linear features were identified within the area of the enclosure. Four furrows and two slot-trenches, possibly structural, were identified. Three pits were identified outside the area of the enclosure; two of these contained evidence of burning.
