2025:085 - Milltown & Moyagher Lower, Meath

An archaeological impact assessment (test excavations) was carried out at a site at Milltown, Moyagher Lower, Co. Meath. The site lies to the south of Kells and consists of two parts; one in the
townland of Milltown (ITM 674577, 772190) to the north and one in Moyagher Lower (ITM 675122, 769000) to the south. These investigations were carried out in fulfilment of the planning conditions attached to the proposed development of a solar farm. This condition was put in place as a result of the recommendations made in a previous archaeological impact assessment, which recommended a geophysical survey be conducted along with test trenching.
In total, 266 test trenches were excavated using a mechanical excavator, fitted with a toothless grading bucket and supervised by the archaeologist at all times. The topsoil was removed to reveal the undisturbed, natural, subsoils. The sod and topsoil at both parts of the site comprised of a dark brown soil and varied in depth between0.28m and 0.55m in the northern part and 0.18m and 0.65m in the south part. The natural subsoil varied across both parts of the site, including light yellow and grey mottled clays, mid-brown clays, grey clays and an orange clay.
Archaeological features were identified in both parts of the sites. In the northern part, twenty burnt mounds, with dark deposits rich in charcoal and burnt or heat-shattered stones. Fifteen pits were also identified and filled with similar, or identical material to the burnt mound deposits and suggest a probable association. Two features were interpreted as a possible kilns. Six linear features were identified, however all but two of these were found to be modern agricultural features such as field drains or furrows. The two exceptions likely correspond to the same feature. These were curvilinear features that appear to correspond with a possible enclosure that was identified as a weak response during the geophysical survey. Similar features were identified in the southern part of the site.

Ten burnt mounds were identified, with fourteen sub-circular features that again are likely associated with the burnt mounds. Fifteen linear features were also identified. However, unlike the northern part of the site, these features appear to correspond to evidence for settlement within the site in the form of field systems and trackways that are associated with the identified enclosure sites identified during the geophysical survey.
While no diagnostic artefacts were recovered during the test excavations, the features that were identified suggest a Bronze Age date to the site. The burnt mounds, otherwise known as fulachta fiadh, are a common field monument in Ireland and are most commonly dated to the Bronze Age, more specifically to the
middle/late Bronze Age. It is likely that the settlement evidence, which was more prevalent in the southern part of the site, is contemporary and also dates to the Bronze Age. The site is therefore considered to have a high level of archaeological significance. As a result, a series of archaeological mitigation measures are proposed. These include archaeological exclusion zones around the known enclosures with zero-ground disturbance within these areas and archaeological mitigation zones where preservation in situ, or by record, of any know archaeological features is advised ahead of development.