County: Louth Site name: BARRONSTOWN/PHILIPSTOWN/RATHMORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0208
Author: James Kyle
Site type: Burnt mound, pits related to metal-working
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 697556m, N 809457m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.025081, -6.511097
Testing was undertaken in advance of the proposed N53 Road Improvement Scheme: Barronstown to Rathmore, in the townlands of Barronstown, Philipstown and Rathmore. The assessment was undertaken in June and July 2011 on behalf of Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority.
A total of 5,640 linear metres were excavated within twelve fields. Three archaeological sites were discovered during the course of the works, which were subsequently fully excavated under this licence.
Philipstown 1 consisted of two pits. The largest was 1.1m east-south-east/west-north-west by 1m and the smallest 0.72m east-south-east/west-north-west by 0.66m. Both features contained iron slag.
Philipstown 2 consisted of a single pit measuring 0.46m northsouth by 0.37m. It contained iron slag.
Philipstown 3 consisted of a burnt mound measuring 5m northsouth by 3.5m. A section through the mound showed it to be 0.13m deep. It was made up of a charcoal-rich, dark brown-black silt clay with heat-affected stones.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow
