County: Meath Site name: DONACARNEY GREAT
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0142
Author: Ciara McCarthy, for ArchTech Ltd, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2.
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 714951m, N 774506m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.707577, -6.258829
Two phases of testing were carried out at the site of a proposed mixed residential development at Donacarney Great, Bettystown, Co. Meath. The testing was carried out following a geophysical survey (licence 09R077) by Earthsound Archaeological Geophysics. Fifty anomalies were identified during the survey and required further investigation; these anomalies included a ring-ditched feature with a diameter of 34m. Seventeen trenches representing 2060 linear metres were excavated across the development site to test the geophysical anomalies and to generally test the area. Nine areas of archaeological potential were identified.
Areas 1, 8 and 9 were located on the crest of a north-west/south-east ridge in the northern field. The geophysical survey identified five anomalies in this area. The testing programme identified ten archaeological features in this area, primarily interpreted as representing a prehistoric barrow or ring-ditch and associated features that include two large pits and two rows of small stones. Areas 2 and 4 were also located on the crest of the north-west/southeast ridge. Sporadic or scattered prehistoric remains were identified in these three areas. Areas 5 and 6 were located in the lower south-west corner of the southern field, and also represent probable prehistoric remains in the form of an occupation or working surface (Area 5) and a fulacht fiadh (Area 6).
The features were subsequently excavated during 2010 under licence 09E0451.
