County: Louth Site name: Twenties, Moneymore and Yellowbatter, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH024-078 Licence number: 22E0503
Author: Caroline Cosgrove
Site type: Multi-Period Rural site
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 708115m, N 777535m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.736240, -6.361274
Archaeological monitoring was carried out on the site at Moneymore, Twenties and Yellowbatter, Drogheda, Co. Louth., on a site expanding from the Ballymakenny Road (ITM 709147, 777797) westwards to the existing Rosehall Roundabout (ITM 707322, 776969). It also runs south along Twenties Lane.
The site was previously subjected to test trenching (06E1126) where two burnt mounds were excavated 08E0765 and 08E0766 (Yellowbatter 1 and 2)
A field south of the main route and east of Twenties Lane was subject to archaeological investigations, including a geophysical survey (21R0320) and test trenching (22E0121; Piera 2022). Two burnt mounds were identified to the north and three enclosures, LH024-078, LH024-079 and LH024-080 with associated linears were identified to the south of the field. Before the topsoil stripping started two buffer zones were placed around the burnt mounds identified by test trenching (22E0121).
Within the proposed development route, the topsoil was stripped down to natural at a depth of between 0.3m to 0.65m, except for the compound and carpark, where it is in subsoil. The topsoil was mainly a brown silty clay. The natural was mainly a brownish orange boulder clay.
One feature, a shallow truncated, pit C2003 was identified at the eastern end (Ballymakenny end) of the proposed route, another pit C2005 was identified near the western end (Rosehall end) of the site.
An area of archaeological interest was identified east of Twenties Lane, between two fields. The south field contained a previously unknown ring-ditch C307 with associated features including ditch C359, well C360 with post holes C392, C393, C394 and C395 cut into its side and pits C326, C372, C390, C391 and C412. An amber bead and twenty-eight sherds of pottery suggest a preliminary date of mid to late Bronze Age.
The north field contained the remains of two enclosures; annex enclosure C3, previously identified in a geophysical survey in 2021 (21R0320) and test trenching (22E0121), and a sub-oval shaped enclosure, C17, not previously identified. Associated features included ditch C413, Souterrain C65, curvilinear ditch C341, well C51, charcoal pit C52, sunken floor C302, linears C114, C120, C121 and C64, kilns C248, C293 and C421, pit C342, slot trenches C320 and C417 and post holes C243, C245, C332, C432 and C419. Twenty-six pottery sherds of souterrain and e-ware place the site between the 7th and 10th century AD.
Post-excavation analysis is currently ongoing.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
