2012:472 - Oldcastle, Meath

Assessment and predevelopment testing was carried out in February 2012. The proposed development comprising of 53 units housing units, crèche and all associated site works is situated on the outskirts of Oldcastle and accessed from the Cavan Road. The site measured 1.9ha and an extensive programme of test trenching was carried out. No surface trace of any archaeological remains were noted in the field prior to the testing works. Topsoil cover measured between 0.1m and 0.6m deep. Surface outcrops of limestone bedrock were noted and in several locations throughout the site topsoil directly overlay near-surface limestone bedrock. Elsewhere subsoil ranging from compact yellow grey boulder clay to orange sandy clay was noted.
The testing revealed the presence numerous subsoil-cut features throughout the investigated area. The majority of the features comprised of linear boundary and drainage features. Multiple features of possible archaeological significance comprising of pits, post-holes and linear features were noted in the test trenches. In Area 1 a dense concentration of features was noted in an area measuring 30m long by 20m wide. Here the remains of a ploughed out fulacht fiadh, F.3, comprised of a denuded horseshoe-shaped mound of charcoal and heat-shattered stone measuring 13m long x 6m wide and a min of 0.1m deep, were identified. A rectangular depression measuring 3m long by 1m wide filled with peat and heat-affected stone was located between the “horns” of the mound and is interpreted as the remains of a trough. Several subsoil-cut pits, also filled with heat-affected stone, were located in the vicinity of the fulacht fiadh/F.3. Pit F.4, located 4m west of F.3, was circular in plan, measured 0.6m in diameter and contained black charcoal-enriched silt with 60% heat-shattered stone. Pit F.1, located 5m east of F.3, measured 0.7m in diameter and contained 60% heat-shattered stone and charcoal. Pit F.2 located 1m north of F.3 measured 0.6m in diameter and contained 60% heat-shattered stone and charcoal. A spread of burnt stone and charcoal, F.5, measuring 7m by 4m, was located 9m west-north-west of F.3. Pit F.8 was located 3m west of F.5, was circular in plan, measured 1m in diameter and contained a black charcoal silt fill with 60% heat-affected stone.
Three finds were retrieved from the topsoil in Area 1. Two small pieces of flint debitage, a possible chert core and a possible saddle quern were retrieved from Area 1. Over 30 subsoil-cut features including pits and post-holes, including several examples with charcoal and heat-affected stone fills, were identified in the test trenches elsewhere in the site.

Wolfhound Archaeology, Killag, Duncormick, Co. Wexford