County: Meath Site name: Carranstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: none Licence number: 17E0003
Author: Jon Stirland
Site type: Bronze Age, 12th/13th century-pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 705460m, N 771041m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.678448, -6.403709
The entire area was cleaned by hand and a total of 17 features of an archaeological nature were recorded. For the purposes of this excavation the site was subdivided into two areas – Areas A and B.
Area A
Three archaeological features were exposed in Area A and consisted of a narrow shallow linear feature (approximately 20m in length) and two elongated shallow oval pits containing deposits of stone. These three features produced a large assemblage of pottery (147 sherds). Unlike the features recorded within Area B, these sherds formed an assemblage of medieval pottery containing a range of medieval domestic cooking and table wares with a date range between the 12th and 13th century.
Area B
Fourteen features were identified within Area B and formed a sub-circular formation of 12 large post-holes and two pit-type features that had been cut by post-holes. On average this sub-circular group of post-holes had an external diameter of 8m. Each post-hole had an average width of 0.8m and an average depth of 0.8-0.95m. The size and general appearance of the post-holes strongly indicate that they represent the foundations of a large wooden structure.
The post-holes produced a sizable assemblage of prehistoric pottery of possible Bronze Age type (293 sherds). The pottery is currently being analyzed by Dr. Eoin Grogan and the results will be included in the final report. The post-holes also produced a small assemblage of worked flint artefacts and worked stone artefacts including a number of blades and flakes. The stratigraphy within the post-holes generally appeared to suggest that the structure was dismantled and that the posts did not degrade in-situ. A number of the post-holes contained very clear evidence of packing material and it was within this post-packing material that the sherds of prehistoric pottery and lithic material was recorded.
No further features suggesting that the structure was a Bronze Age roundhouse were identified within Area B. It is possible however, that more ephemeral/shallow features may have been removed by modern ploughing. Features such as a circular slot trench, drip gully and evidence of a hearth were not present. It may also be possible however that the post-holes represent a sub-circular timber structure rather than that of a dwelling. Similar circular post-hole structures have been recorded nearby in the townlands of Lagavooren and Balgatheran, however the post-holes associated with those structures produced late Neolithic pottery.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
