Hut site in Chapelbride

Situated on a shelf on a NE and E-facing slope. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E1054) by D. Bayley (2005) at Testing Area 3 of Contract 5 of the M3 motorway (excavations.ie 2004:1223) identified archaeological material that was fully resolved (E003169) by E. Danaher between November 2006 and March 2007 as Chapelbride 4 (excavations.ie 2006:1528). Few stratigraphic relationships could be established, but elements of a field system, a hut-site and another structure as well as a ring-ditch testify to prehistoric activity and two corn-drying kilns extend into the first millennium AD. Structure A is a circular hut-site (diam. c. 6m) defined by ten degraded post-holes on the perimeter and at least one internal post-hole. Four external post-holes, placed c. 2-3m from the probable line of the wall may have played a function in relation to it. An area of burning (dims 1.32m x 0.82m; D 0.12m) flanked by stake-holes is within the hut-site but against the perimeter at W and is probably a hearth. A sample of alder from it returned a C14 date of 1120-910 cal. BC (Beta 247145) while hazel from one of the post-holes produced a date of 1010-830 cal. BC (Beta 247146). Two large pits (dims 1.64m x 1.2m; D 0.45m: dims 2.17m x 1.24m; D 0.29m) just to the E produced Middle Bronze Age pottery. (O’Hara et al. 2009 3-4) See the attached plans from O'Hara et al. (2009 figs 9, 10, 11) Compiled by: Michael Moore Dat of upload: 4 March 2022 O’Hara, R., Gallagher, D. and V. Ginn 2009 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 5 Final Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Chapelbride 4, Co. Meath. Licence: E003169. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services