2015:103 - Monasterboice, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: Monasterboice

Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH021-062 Licence number: 15E0084

Author: Donald Murphy

Site type: Early Christian

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 704386m, N 782422m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.780898, -6.416120

An assessment (test trenching) took place of a proposed single dwelling located within the townland of Monasterboice, Drogheda, Co Louth. The testing was carried out on behalf of Mr Nicholas McDonnell in fulfilment of planning conditions attached to a grant of permission by Louth County Council (Ref. No 10/382).
The site is adjacent to and partially within the Zone of Archaeological Potential associated with the Monasterboice ecclesiastical Site, National Monument (No. 94, RMP LH021-062). On 9 March 2015 a total of five test trenches were excavated within the site of the proposed development.
A number of features were identified on the site including two ditches of indeterminate date, two pits containing charcoal and flecks of burnt bone and fire-cracked stone and a single post-hole that may represent prehistoric activity. These features were all located on the summit of the ridge at the north end of the site.
Ditch 1 ran east-west along the top of the ridge in line with an existing field boundary to the east which also acts as the townland boundary. It was sectioned in three locations and recorded as being 3m wide at the top and 1.1m in depth with slight changes in its width and depth between the three excavated sections. It contained one single fill with no evidence of silting and had a rounded base and U-shaped cut. No dating evidence was retrieved from the three sections excavated and its fill appeared relatively sterile.
Ditch 2 was recorded running parallel to Ditch 1 and along the north side of the ridge. Ditch 2 was sectioned and recorded as being a shallow with a maximum 0.3m in depth and 2m in width. It also appeared to contain one single fill that produced no dating evidence.
Three other features were also identified during the assessment; within Trench 3 a single shallow pit was excavated. This pit took the form of a deposit of charcoal-rich material containing flecks of burnt bone and fire-cracked stone. This deposit was located within a natural depression with no visible cut.
Within Trench 5 a similar pit-type feature was recorded, and was found to contain a similar deposit, a charcoal-rich material containing fragments of burnt bone and fire-cracked stone. Also recorded within Trench 5 were a possible single post-hole and a small patch of adjacent charcoal which was located approximately 20m to the west of the pit.
There is no cartographical evidence depicting the two ditches recorded in Trenches 3 and 5 and they are not shown on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd edition of the OS maps. Theses ditches may be associated with phases of the development of the townland boundary which is located directly to the east of the site of the proposed development; alternatively they may represent field boundaries of indeterminate date.
It is not currently possible to suggest a date for these ditches. However, their alignment suggests that they are not associated with any enclosing feature of the Monasterboice ecclesiastical site. It is also noted that they do not align with any of the ditch-type anomalies identified by the geophysical survey carried out by Teresa Bolger & David Harrison of Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd in 2008.
The ditches for the most part will be preserved in situ below the garden of the proposed dwelling with only a section of Ditch 1 being potentially impacted upon by the proposed driveway and parts of Ditch 2 by the house and percolation area. Though the site was well tested, it remains possible that other smaller features similar to the two pits and post-hole may survive in the area of the proposed house. It is therefore recommended that the site be subject to monitoring of topsoil stripping.

Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth