2018:805 - Site 5, Piercetown, Meath

The proposed development is located within the townlands of Piercetown, Co. Meath along the N3 between the proposed Dunboyne/Pace Interchange and the Fairyhouse Road.

An area measuring c. 78m east to west by 48m was stripped of topsoil in December 2016 and designated Site 5. Excavation commenced in February 2017. The features identified at Site 5 represented the remnants of a small enclosure and associated features and was located immediately south of an enclosure site identified as a result of the geophysical survey – Site 1. Site 1 was in all likelihood a large early medieval enclosure and Site 5 represented a small annex along the southern extent of Site 1. The features identified consisted of a sub-oval enclosure (F5025), 9 ditches (F5022, F5029, F5035, F5037, F5057, F5066, F5075, F5125, F5133), seven pits (F5023, F5041, F5043, F5045, F5047, F5074, F5051), three linear/curvilinear features (F5012, F5016, F5112), one post-hole (F5039), three cereal-drying kilns (F5085, F5090, F5111), two field drains (F5102, F5109) and the remnants of a possible furrow (F5104). The site was particularly wet and prone to flooding so it would seem likely that, aside from the enclosure ditch F5025, the majority of the linear features/drains/ditches were all utilized for drainage purposes. One of the ditches (F5075) followed the same alignment as and predated the enclosure ditch F5025 and in all likelihood represented an earlier phase of enclosure activity. Some of the ditches represented successive phases of
usage of the same ditch alignment (F5057/F5061/F5133/F5020/F5022). The smaller features (pits/kilns) were contained within the area defined by the aforementioned ditches. Three radiocarbon dates were obtained from features within this site and dated the site from the 8th-12th century AD.

The enclosure ditch (F5025) was only partially exposed. It was sub-oval in shape and ran south from Site 1 and turned westwards before returning north to Site 1. It had an outer diameter of c.25m and measured a minimum of 43.8m length. As F5025 was not fully exposed, an entrance was not recorded. This enclosure was cut by a later kiln (F5111) along its southern extent and enclosed two earlier kilns (F5085 and F5090) and two curvilinear features (F5016 and F5112). Two drains were also contained within the area defined by this enclosure ditch (F5102 and F5109).

Numerous other ditch features (F5057/F5060, F5133/F5020, F5022, F5066, F5035, F5037, F5029, F5125) identified within the site are in all likelihood drainage features. This site was particularly prone to flooding and it would appear that the majority of these features were excavated to ensure that the enclosure ditch F5025 and the surrounding pits and kilns were kept dry and free from flooding.

Three kilns (F5085, F5090 and F5111) were recorded on Site 5. Two (F5085 and F5090) of these were situated within the area defined by enclosure ditch F5025 whilst the third (F5111) cut the southern extent of the enclosure ditch F5025. The kilns were irregular in shape and were used as cereal-drying kilns.

Site 5, with its series of ditches, pits, kilns and enclosing ditch was a southern annex to the domestic enclosure of Site 1, identified as a result of a geophysical survey and situated immediately to the north of Site 5. The presence of three kilns coupled with the recovery of a significant quantity of cereal grains from the kilns and smaller quantities from the pits would suggest that Site 5 was utilized as an area for drying and processing cereal grains. The enclosing ditch F5025 defined this area and the surrounding ditches and drains helped keep this wetland area free from flooding. Radiocarbon carbon dates recovered from this site dated it from the 8th-12th century AD. The actual annex was dated from the 8th-10th century AD whilst the kilns were dated from the 10th-12th century AD.
No finds were recovered from this site and the quantity of animal bone recovered was very small which would reinforce the suggestion that this site was not utilized for habitation purposes itself, but in conjunction with Site 1 to the north. The presence of an annex to an early medieval enclosure is not atypical and has been identified at many early medieval sites including Johnstown, Colp, Roestown and Dowdstown Co. Meath and Haynestown, Co. Louth.

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