Field system in Boyerstown

Situated on a small N-S ridge in a gently undulating landscape. A geophysical survey by Bartlett-Clark (2002) in advance of the M3 motorway noted anomalies which targeted archaeological testing (04E0580) by N. Fairburn (2004) at Testing Area 7 could identify as archaeological features (excavations.ie 2004:1190). A large area of 3.2 ha was fully resolved (E003107) within the road-take by L. Clarke and T. Connell jointly over ten months beginning in June 2006 as Boyerstown 3 (excavations.ie 2006:1518; 2007:1269) as two archaeological areas separated by a NNE-SSW current field bank and drain, Area 1 to the SE and Area 2 to the NW. The principal findings are a series of subrectangular fields with rounded corners dating from the seventh to ninth centuries AD that are associated with a circular enclosure (ME025-088001-) which was almost completely outside the excavated area at W and is probably a rath. The remains of a second circular enclosure (ME025-088002-), also probably a rath, were within the excavation but it was so truncated that its context is difficult to establish. A small circular structure (ME025-088006-) outside the fields at S and four cereal-drying kilns (ME025-088003-) are closely contemporary but a Bronze Age hut-site (ME025-088004-) in a palisaded enclosure (ME025-088005-) are also recorded outside the field system at SE. FILEDS: The field system consists of two large rectangular enclosures or fields. Filed 1 (int. dims 60m NE-SW; 23m NW-SE) is defined by ditches (Wth c. 2.4m; D 0.5m) with an entrance at the centre of the NW side and possible entrances in the NE and SE sides. The defining ditches were sometimes re-cut and that at NE cut an earlier L-shaped ditch outside it that produced a C14 date of 436-649 cal. AD (BETA 219210). This field had three slighter internal NW-SE ditches (Wth 0.88-1.8m; D 0.23-0.7m) dividing it into four smaller plots (Wth 4-22m NE-SW), and the scarcity of internal features together with a cache of charred seeds at one point that included by oats, hulled barley and wheat suggests that they were devoted to cereal production. A small D-shaped annexe (dims 11.4m x 9.7m) attached to the N end of the SE side had traces of slag in the fills of its ditches and provided a C14 date of 598-767 cal. AD (BETA 219007). The full extent of this annexe is not certainly known as it may have looped around the NE side of Field 1. Another annexe may have extended even further N in a loop until it meets the NE-SW modern ditch. Animal bone from this annexe provided a determination of 635-774 cal. AD (BETA 219009) intimating that the annexes were added to the N end of the original fields. (Clarke 2009, 2-7) Some of the ditches of Field 1 were re-cut, and its defining ditch on the SE side was cut by the continuous ditches of Field 2 that is attached to it on this side. This rectangular enclosure (int. dims 43m NE-SW; 22m NW-SE) is defined by substantial ditches (Wth 1.96m; D 0.42m) on each side, which also cut the ditches of two annexes attached to the NE of Field 1. It has no entrance causeway and its ditches were never re-cut. The charcoal samples from this enclosure were dominated by hazel, oak, cherries, apple and ash, and an animal bone from the base of the ditch at N produced a C14 date of 687-937 cal. AD (BETA 219008). There were a few internal pits at SW and at N, and some features including a structure outside the ditch at SW are contemporary with it. (Clarke 2009, 7-10) Other ditches appear to be associated with post-medieval drainage. Three large NE-SW relict ditches are parallel with the open ditch dividing the excavated area into two. They are 32m to 44m from each other and many lesser relict ditches debouch into them. This is particularly so at the N extent of Area 2. These features are likely to be post-medieval in date but confuse the depiction of earlier features (ibid. 26). There were pits throughout the excavated area but few produced any diagnostic artefacts. Their fills might have some cremated bone or oxidised clays with charred plant remains. One small pit (diam. 0.44-0.48m; D 0.11m) produced sherds from two Bronze Age vessels of bipartite and vase type. (Clarke 2009, 21-5) See the attached images from Clarke (2009, figs 10, 12, 13, 21, 22, Pl 154): _01 Site plan; _02 fields 1 and 2; _03 later fields; _04 Field 1; _05 Field 2; _06 Aerial view from SW Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 April, 2023 Clarke, L. 2009 M3 Clonee-North of Kells. Contract 3 – Navan Bypass. Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Boyerstown 3, Co. Meath. Licence: E003107. Final Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services