2023:599 - Batterstown, Longtown, Mullagh, Milltown, and Mulhussey, Meath
County: Meath
Site name: Batterstown, Longtown, Mullagh, Milltown, and Mulhussey
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME049-031
Licence number: 23E0835
Author: Liam Coen c/o Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy
Author/Organisation Address: Lynwood House, Ballinteer, Dublin 16
Site type: Testing, various site types
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 691048m, N 744117m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.439271, -6.629622
Archaeological assessment of a site near Blackhall, Co. Meath was undertaken in advance of development. The assessment comprised of a desktop survey, site inspection, and geophysical survey (Bird & Young 2023, Licence no. 23R0087 & 23R0331) that informed licensed test excavations.
57 trenches, totalling 1850 linear metres, were excavated using a mechanical excavator fitted with a grading bucket under constant archaeological supervision. Trenches were primarily located to investigate geophysical anomalies and determine their archaeological nature and extent. 23 trenches contained archaeological remains comprising both prehistoric and medieval sites. A total of 25 previously unknown archaeological sites and evidence for two Recorded Monuments (SMR/RMP) were identified during the assessment. Sites included an undated enclosure thought to be from the early medieval period, prehistoric ring-ditches, a possible Neolithic house and fragmentary evidence for burnt mounds/fulachtaí fia.
References
Young, T. & Bird, C. 2023. ‘Geophysical Survey Report. Archaeological Magnetic Gradiometry Survey, Blackhall Solar Farm, County Meath. Licence no. 23R0087, 23R0331’. Unpublished report prepared by TerraDat UK
