2016:638 - Alexander Reid and Bailis, Navan, Dublin

A short programme of testing was carried out on a site in Alexander Reid townland to the east of Navan, Co. Meath in September 2016. The works were carried out in a small portion (Area D) of a large residential development. Geophysical surveying of the development by Joanna Leigh, carried out in 2011, identified an enclosure within this part of the development. This was subsequently tested by Fintan Walsh in 2011 (Licence No. 11E0240, Excavations Ref. 2011:467), which confirmed the presence of an enclosure.

The area was divided into two sections by an existing field boundary, D1 to the west and D2 to the east. Monitoring of Area D was initiated by Padraig Clancy and confirmed the presence of an enclosure, with the majority of the enclosure lying to the west of the field boundary in Area D1 (Licence No. 16E0268). During the monitoring the remains of two burials were exposed and the monitored stripping of the central portion of the enclosure was halted.

The aim of the current testing programme was to further assess the unstripped section in the centre of the enclosure to assess whether the site represents the remains of a graveyard and to identify whether additional graved cuts were apparent within the stripped portion of the site. Two hand-dug test trenches were excavated through the remaining topsoil across the central area of the site and a stretch of previously stripped ground running perpendicular to these trenches along the edge of the stripped area was closely examined.

A systematic survey of exposed bone on the site was also carried out. The aim of this was to identify the spread of human bone across the site as well as to assess for the presence of in situ articulated human remains.

The previous stripping had exposed the underlying natural in much of Area D1, which was seen to be largely shale bedrock in the vicinity of the enclosure, with a stony gritty boulder clay seen elsewhere, and a marly clay apparent to the east of Area D2.

A further five very fragmentary shallow juvenile and infant burials were identified during the testing programme. These were generally identified resting on the surface of the underlying bedrock or in very shallow cuts. The testing programme indicated that a low density burial site was present within the enclosure previously identified during the 2011 testing. The burials post-date the enclosure, which is likely to be early medieval in date.

Monitoring of the portion of the development to the south of Area D was carried out in November and December 2016. No further features of archaeological significance were encountered. The excavation of the enclosure and burials within Area D is to take place in early 2017.

Aileach Archaeology, on behalf of Archaeology Plan, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2