Excavation

Situated on a slight NE-facing slope. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E0479) by T. O’Neill of Testing Area 17 of Contract 1 prior to the construction of the M3 motorway identified archaeological features (excavations.ie: 2004:1337) that were fully excavated (E003045) by S. Linnane as Cookstown 3 in June 2006. Some post-holes and linear features recorded in the testing were not present at a later stage, but a small curvilinear trench (L 2m; Wth 0.7m; D 0.15m) is continued by another trench (L 2.85m; Wth 0.8m; D 0.15m) at its S end, forming a slightly curving arc SW-N, although the junction is obscured by a pit (dims 1.71m x 1.14m; D 0.35m). A few other pits and post-holes are early and pre-date land-drains and plough furrows that relate to each other in a rectangular system aligned NE-SW. A sample of hazel charcoal from a small isolated pit (0.45m x 0.15m; D 0.07m) produced a C14 date of 3966-3787 cal. BC, placing it at the start of the Early Neolithic. The pit was filled with a silty clay and contained some cremated bone that was largely animal but one piece is identified as human. Six undiagnostic flints were recovered in the topsoil. (Linnane 2008) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 26 April, 2022 O’Neill, T. 2004 M3 Clonee - North of Kells, Contract 1 Clonee – Dunshaughlin. Final Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 17 Raynestown 1, Co. Meath. Licence: 04E0479. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services