County: Meath Site name: Summerhill
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 23E0866
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 684539m, N 748661m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.481180, -6.726341
Ten test trenches were opened on the footprint of a proposed housing development at Summerhill, Co. Meath, between 4 and 7 December 2023. The site consists of a large field that was formerly divided into two fields. A temporary sewage treatment plant was built in the north-east corner of the site c.2011-2013 and ordnance survey images indicate ground disturbance across the site at the time of this development. An east-west access road was opened across the north part of the site to service the treatment plant development, and a north-south track was subsequently opened west of centre in the field to facilitate stockpiling of soil.
The stratigraphy was generally consistent across the site with 0.2-0.25m of light grey-brown silty clay topsoil over light yellow/brown clay/sand subsoil. A spread of burnt material (3.4m east-west by a minimum of 2m) was uncovered beneath modern topsoil and fill at the north edge of the site. The south, east and west extents of the burnt spread were established, and it was revealed to be a very shallow deposit (thickness: 0.03m). The deposit extends under the baulk to the north of the excavated trench but it was not feasible to investigate within this area due to the presence of a substantial earthen bank that runs east-west just inside the north boundary of the development site. The burnt material uncovered during testing represents the southern extent of a burnt spread. Mitigation to preserve the burnt spread by record was recommended.
Dominic Delany & Associates, Creganna, Oranmore, Co. Galway
