Burial ground in Athlumney

INTRODUCTION: Situated on a slight rise in a fairly level landscape, and c. 130m from the crest of a steep SW-facing slope down (H c. 12m) to a SSE-NNW portion of the River Boyne. Archaeological monitoring (97E0322) by M. McQuaid in 2007 of engineering pits in a large development site led to the identification of a dense concentration of archaeological features in this area but as the proposed building was to be re-located to the site of a modern quarry and closer to Bóthar Sion to the NW it was determined that the archaeological investigation (07E0892) directed by J. Hession (2009) between October 2007 and February 2008 would be limited to the removal of topsoil and the recording of the revealed features in an effort to elucidate their stratigraphic relationships. This was combined with a judicious sampling of the more important features (excavations.ie 2007:1255). This investigation was also informed by the results of an excavation (97E0322 ext.) conducted by M. McQuade (2007) on the route of a N-S link road (excavations.ie 2007:1254) immediately to the E that related directly to the central area investigated by Hession (2009). The entire complex S Bóthar Sion and W of the link-road is now preserved in situ beneath a carpark where it is protected by a geo-textile membrane and introduced soils while a grass-covered mound (diam. 45m; H 1.3m) has been raised over the burial ground. SUMMARY: Hession’s work identified a complex of features from a multi-period monument in which four principal periods can be isolated. A possible Bronze Age rectangular enclosure (ME025-079----) can be combined directly with McQuade’s findings and constitutes Period 1. The partial remains of a subcircular Iron Age enclosure (ME025-078001-) represents Period 2. Period 3 encompasses early medieval activity including a burial ground (ME025-078----) with two enclosing features. This is combined with habitation and the addition of a third enclosing fosse. The early medieval activity to the SW (ME025-049004-) is broadly contemporary with this period while the three souterrains further SW may be slightly later. Period 4 is represented by post-medieval agricultural activity, principally in the form of furrows which truncate most of the earlier features. BURIAL GROUND: A central circular enclosure (int. diam. c. 20m) defined by a fosse (Wth 4.2m; D 1.7m) encloses an area that was characterized by multiple intercutting domestic features which were truncated by the use of the enclosure for burial in the first millennium AD. There were 11 pits, a hearth or kiln, 5 linear features, 6 slot-trenches and 6 post-holes, and some of these features were cut by the ditch. The central enclosure is separated by a berm (Wth 4-14m) from a second enclosure (int. diam. c. 39-44m) defined by a fosse (Wth 3.4m; D 1.25m). This middle enclosure is within a third enclosure (int. diam. c. 70m) which surrounds the central and middle enclosures in an elliptical fashion but it cannot be traced E-SW. This ditch cuts the enclosing fosse of the Iron Age enclosure (ME02-078001-), but its relationship with the field boundaries (ME025-049004-) to the SW cannot be established. A radial ditch at SW connects the inner and middle ditches, and six ditches connect the middle with the outer ditch at W. The central enclosure and the area between the inner and middle enclosures is occupied with domestic material – pits, kilns, ditches, slot-trenches and hearths – which are less in evidence between the middle and outer enclosures. There is no evidence that there were upstanding banks or that any of the enclosures had uncut causeway entrances. (Hession 2009, 38-41) ENCLOSURE: The central enclosure and its ditch held 25 supine interments aligned E-W with the heads at W. Eighteen, of which seven were slab-lined burials, were confined to the interior and the others were either partially or wholly in the fosse. The burials were not excavated but amongst them could be recognised one infant, one young child, two older children, one adolescent, three young adults, a man and a woman less than 35 years old at time of death and one person older than 45 years. This is interpreted as a family burial ground. (Hession 2009, 42-8) The middle enclosure (int. dims 44m x 39m) contained 17 possible ditches, 3 pits, 38 slot-trenches and eight occupation deposits. The slot-trenches probably represent multiple rebuilds but not a single structure could be identified. The enclosing ditch (Wth of top 3.8m; D 1.25m) had a channel (Wth 0.4m; D 0.33m) at the base. Post-holes had been cut in the inner and outer slopes of the ditch, and a wall composed of large stones was in the upper fills of the fosse at S. An entrance was not identified but the enclosing fosse could not be identified at E-SE because of covering silts and modern quarries. The outer enclosure (int. diam. c. 60m) was defined by a fosse SW-N-E but the perimeter could not be traced elsewhere because of overlying layers. The outer and middle enclosures were linked by 6 radial ditches in the SW-NW area. Most of the 29 slot-trenches, 28 post-holes, 12 occupation deposits, 24 linear features, and 8 pits between the two enclosures were either in the NW area where there was a kiln or hearth or the SW segment. The ditch (Wth of top 5.6m; D 1.3m) had a rounded base with two channels at the bottom (Hession 2009, 52-5). DATING: Samples from the basal fills of the inner and middle ditches returned C14 dates of 534-606 cal. AD (UBA-11139) and 422-535 cal. AD (UBA-11140) respectively. A third fosse was placed eccentrically around the inner two which could only be traced SW-N-E, creating a third enclosure (int. diam. c. 70m). A sample from this ditch provided a C14 date of 603-657 cal. AD (UBA-11142) suggesting that all three enclosures were in use within a 200 year period, although the excavator considers the inner and middle fosses to be closely contemporary and primary. A sample from a ditch to the SW provided a slightly later date of C14 date of 678-789 cal. BC (UBA-11141), intimating that the further features were from the centre the later in date they might be. See the attached site plans from Hession (2009, figs 5, 6) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 31 March 2023 Hession, J. 2009 Final Archaeological Report for the multiphase archaeological landscape preserved in situ at IDA Business and Technology Park, Dublin, Rd., Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 07E0892. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co. McQuade, M. 2007 Archaeological Monitoring and Excavation, Athlumney, Co. Meath. Licence: 97E0322ext. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.