County: Meath Site name: Oldcastle
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E387
Author: Brian O’Hara
Site type: Burnt mound
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 0m, N 0m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.770018, -7.162412
The proposed development at Oldcastle, Co. Meath entails the construction of a 3,500P.E. Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW). These works were undertaken for Coffey Group on behalf of Meath County Council.
An impact assessment of the proposed development undertaken by Ronan Jones in April 2009 recommended that all topsoil stripping in greenfield areas should be subject to continuous monitoring while other ground breaking works associated with the scheme should be subject to intermittent monitoring.
Test excavation at the site of the proposed Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and monitoring of geotechnical trenches at the same location by Jones and Delany (Licence No. 09E252?) did not uncover any features, finds or deposits of archaeological interest.
Monitoring of topsoil stripping commenced on 25 October 2012 and continued for a total of 30 days until 10 January 2013.
During the course of this work three separate archaeological sites were uncovered within the footprint of the proposed development. Sites A and B were both excavated on 8 November 2012. Site C was excavated between 8‐10 January 2013.
Site A consisted of a thin, irregular‐shaped burnt spread of dark greyish, brown sandy clay with inclusions of heat‐shattered sandstone and charcoal. This deposit measured 1.4m x 1.96m and was 0.23m deep and was located directly beneath the topsoil and over the ‘natural’ subsoil. No other archaeological features, finds or deposits were uncovered in the immediate vicinity of Site A.
Site B consisted of an isolated pit/possible trough excavated into the subsoil and was oval in plan, measuring 2.01m (east‐west) x 1.25m and had an overall depth of 0.24m. It contained three fills of archetypal burnt spread material containing frequent inclusions of heat‐shattered stone and charcoal.
Site C consisted of a burnt spread of black silty clay with frequent inclusions of heat‐shattered stone and charcoal. This deposit was partially covered by both the topsoil/overburden and by a deposit of mid‐brown sandy silt palaeo‐channel material and brownish grey clayey silt palaeo‐channel material. Following the removal of the topsoil/overburden and palaeo‐channel deposits the burnt spread measured 6.6m (north-west/south-east) x 6.72m and had an average depth of 0.49m
Following excavation of the burnt spread, two troughs which were excavated into the subsoil were identified. Trough (011) was sub‐oval in plan (2m x 1.6m) with steeply sloping sides and a flat base (depth 0.25m). The trough contained two fills; a basal fill of black silty clay containing frequent inclusions of heat‐shattered stone and charcoal and an upper fill of mid grey sandy silt with frequent inclusions of heat‐shattered stone and charcoal.
The second trough (015) was oval in plan (1.5m x 1.77m) with moderately sloping sides and a concave base, having an overall depth of 0.32m. It contained a single fill which consisted of orangey grey silty clay with frequent inclusions of heat‐shattered stone and charcoal. Two large, flat stones were noted at the base, possibly the remains of a stone lining. The stones were similar in size (0.7m x 0.55m x 0.15m) and were positioned beside one another.
Further analysis of the results of the excavation is required to refine the interpretation of the sites.
Reference – is this necessary?
Delaney, D. and Jones, R (2009) Pre‐development archaeological testing and monitoring of geotechnical trial pits at Oldcastle Sewerage Scheme Co. Meath. Unpublished report by Dominic Delaney & Associates for Jennings O’Donavan Consultant Engineers.
Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd, Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork.
