2025:084 - Greenbatter and Yellowbatter, Moneymore, Drogheda, Louth

These excavations were carried out ahead of a large-scale linear development, as part of the corresponding
planning conditions attached to the development. The excavations were carried out between December 2024 and January 2025. The site where the development is located has been subject to several archaeological investigations as part of
the project. A section of the site was subject to a geophysical survey, conducted by Donald Murphy of ACSU, under licence
24R0326 issued by the DoHLGH. The remainder of the site was subject to test excavations (test trenching), conducted by Glenn Gibney, also of ACSU, under licence 24E0742 and detection licence 24R0352. These test excavations suggested the presence of a burnt mound or fulacht fiadh at the site. However, when the site was stripped, the suggested burnt mound or spread was found to be a series of pits with only shallow areas of burnt mound material scattered between them.
C3 measured 2.15m (long) by 1.54m with a depth of 0.58m. It contained two fills (C4 and C5). C4 was a sterile, brownish-gray, sandy clay with a thickness of 0.25 m. This was above C5, which was a deposit of burnt mound material comprising a dark greyish-black silty clay with burnt stone and charcoal, with a thickness of 0.33m. Pit C6 measured 1.5m (long) by 1.65m with a depth of 0.3m, and Pit C8 measured 0.81m (long) by 0.76m with a depth of 0.19m. These were filled by C7 and C9, respectively, which were identical to C5. Pit C10 measured 1.82m (long) by 2.21m and had a depth of 0.62m, containing three fills (C11, C12, and C13). The upper fill, C11, was a similar greyish-black silty clay with charcoal inclusions, but with no evidence of burnt stone, and had a thickness of 0.2m. This was above a mid-brown silty clay (C12), also containing charcoal and measuring 0.4m thick. The basal fill (C13) had a similar composition to C11, but was significantly darker  and measured between 0.09m and 0.21m in thickness. Pit C14 measured 0.86m (long) by 0.6m with a depth of 0.17m; Pit C16 measured 0.97m (long) by 0.57m with a depth of 0.32m; Pit C18 was elongated and orientated northwest to southeast and measured 2.93m (long) by 1.2m with a depth of 0.19m; Pit C20 measured 1.88m (long) by 0.96m with a depth of 0.2m. These were filled by C15, C17, C19 and C21, respectively, which were identical to C5. Pit C22 measured 1.07m (long) by 0.88m with a depth of 0.23m. It was filled by C23, which had a composition very similar to that of C5. However, C23 was mixed with oxidised clay, which was concentrated towards the lower boundary of the deposit. There was no evidence of burning in situ (e.g., scorched natural clay), which is why this was treated as inclusions within the deposit, rather than a separate deposit. Pit C24 was elongated, orientated roughly north to south and measured 1.79m (long) by 0.52m to 0.83m with a depth of 0.3m. The upper fill of C4 was C25, which was identical to C5 and measured 0.2m in thickness. This was above C26, which was a sterile, light grey, silty clay measuring 0.1m in thickness. Pit C27 measured 0.95m (long) by 0.8m with a depth of 0.19m. It was filled by C28, which was identical to C5.
The interpretation of the test excavation results was based on the observation of burnt mound material within the excavated trenches. However, this was found to be a series of shallow pits with patches of burnt mound material dispersed between them. With no datable artefacts recovered from the site, and post-excavation analysis of the samples ongoing, definitive dating is unavailable at the time of writing. However, burnt mound spreads are typically associated with the monument class known as Fulachta fiadh, which typically dates to the Middle to Late Bronze Age (1600 BC-500 BC). However, none of the pits appear to be indicative of a trough or water management in the form of gullies, which are typically associated with burnt mounds. This might suggest that these functioned as the suggested possible pot boiler or roasting pits associated with this monument type. However, it should be noted that burnt mound material (as Exemplified in C5), which filled the majority of these pits, was also observed across the site, outside of any cut features. This suggests that the features have been disturbed prior to their discovery, possibly by agricultural activity. This could have resulted in the truncation of these features, which obscures their actual morphology and function.
All on-site archaeological works within the footprint of the site are now complete, and groundworks associated with the development may proceed without any further archaeological mitigation.
In relation to an unexcavated test trench, which was not excavated during the initial testing phase due to the presence of a large soil mound (Trench 8), it is suggested that monitoring of groundworks takes place within this area when the soil is removed and topsoil clearance commences.
Post-excavation analysis is ongoing, primarily consisting of the specialist analysis of the paleoenvironmental samples collected from the site. This will provide a definitive date for the excavated feature.