2026:087 - Knockumber, Navan, Meath

Test excavations were carried out at Knockumber, Liscartan, Co. Meath. The site measures approximately 34 hectares, consists of eight grassed and arable fields, and lies to the west of Navan, adjacent to and west of Tara Mines.

A geophysical survey was previously carried out on the site (26R0026; Murphy 2026). The survey identified definite archaeological features, including a circular anomaly that represents a ring-ditch (M4) in the south-west portion of Field 5.  Several other potential archaeological features were also identified including a positive sub-oval anomaly (M1) in Field 3 that may represent the remains of an enclosure, a U-shaped anomaly (M2) that may represent the remains of an enclosure or early field system in Field 5, a faint, positive, circular anomaly (M3), that may represent a ring-ditch, adjacent to (M4), also in Field 5 and a curvilinear anomaly (M5) in Field 7 that may represent the remains of an enclosure or similar feature.

Six archaeological features were confirmed by the test trenching. These were a charcoal-rich oxidised circular pit (C105) of indeterminate date in Field 2,  a burnt stone pit/spread (C100) indicative of a Bronze Age burnt mound/fulacht fiadh in Field 3 and a charcoal-rich curvilinear ditch (C101) corresponding to geophysical survey anomaly M3, a possible field boundary ditch (C102) truncating C101, a charcoal-rich oxidised pit/spread (C103) and a linear ditch (C104) corresponding to geophysical anomaly M4 in Field 5.

Both C101 and C104 possibly represent the remains of a prehistoric ring-ditch or ring-barrow monument. However, no artefacts such as ceramics, cremated bone, or lithics were found to confirm the date or monument type.

No additional archaeological features were identified throughout the remainder of the development.