2016:343 - Knockharley, Meath

A regional residual landfill facility located at Knockharley, County Meath has being developed in a number of phases over the past twelve years with the land being cleared in advance of each phase. Monitoring of topsoil stripping in advance of the next development phase was undertaken in 2016 and uncovered a number of features of archaeological significance. The report on the monitoring (04E778 Extension) recommended full archaeological resolution of three separate areas consisting of six pit features and one linear feature. The archaeological excavations took place over a period of five weeks from the 10 May 2016.

Feature 1 was an irregular-shaped area of burnt stone and clay. Aligned north-south, it measures 1.3m in length and 0.7m in width. Feature 2 was located 0.9m to the north and was a sub-circular area of burnt stone and clay. It measures 1.2m north-south x 1.15m. A third area of burnt stone and clay was located 1.2m east of Feature 2. This was another irregular-shaped cut which was triangular in plan. The long axis was orientated north-south and it measures 2.05m in length and 1m in width. A fourth area of burnt stone was identified some 20m south-west of Features 1-3 . It was sub-rectangular in plan and measured 1.6m x 1.55m and cut into the yellow/brown silty subsoil. Excavation revealed all of these were shallow pits filled with firecracker stone with charcoal inclusions.

In the western end of the site a short linear feature and a circular pit were identified in the course of topsoil stripping and were subsequently excavated. The linear feature was cut into the subsoil and consisted of a linear drain-like feature orientated east-west. It measures 1.1m in length, 0.3m in width and is filled with loose angular stones and clay. The other feature was located 4m to the south and comprised a circular cut 0.68m in diameter and filled with heat-fragmented angular stones and burnt clay.

In addition to the pit features a spread of burnt stone and clay with a number of associated pits was uncovered in the centre of the area stripped of topsoil. As the feature was located directly below an overhead electricity line it was not directly impacted upon by the proposed development. The main feature was roughly horseshoe-shaped and consisted of fragmented burnt stone and clay covering an area 16.5m north-south by c. 13.5m. A second area of burnt clay was located to the immediate east and was cut by a field drain. A number of small pit features were identified in the surrounding area. This feature was recorded and preserved in situ.