House — medieval in Boyerstown

INTRODUCTION: Located on a slight SE-facing slope, and on the SE side of the NE-SW N51 Athboy to Navan road. A geophysical Survey by Bartlett-Clark (2002) noted anomalies which targeted archaeological testing (04E0580) by N. Fairburn (2004) at Testing Area 7 could confirm (excavations.ie 2004:1190). Thereafter, an extensive area of about 0.7 ha was set aside as Boyerstown 1 for full resolution (E003105) by K. Martin in a year beginning in May 2006 as two adjacent archaeological areas lying on the SE side of the road (excavations.ie 2006:1516). The remains consist of two drystone-built structures (ME025-092----; ME025-092001-) and associated metalled surfaces with drains together with portions of fields (ME025-092002-) and a single kiln (ME025-092003-) (excavations.ie 2006:1516). The walls of the structures had collapsed onto the metalled yard. Four water-holes or cisterns (ME025-092004-) were also recorded as well as one burial (ME025-092005-) and other human remains, and there was even the remains of a prehistoric fulacht fia (ME025-092006-). INTERPRETATION: The remains are those of a small high medieval farmstead dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, probably that of a tenant on the manor of Ardbraccan which was held by the bishop of Meath. The tenant may have been quite prosperous from the quantity of pottery recovered, although imports are relatively scarce. There were also decorative pieces of metalwork which included two brooches dating to the thirteenth century and the later Middle Ages, copper alloy buckles and a mount, together with a silver crucifix-pendant. Twenty nine coins were also recovered, mostly from the topsoil, but seven date from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries while the majority, including three of the four from secure contexts, date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. (Martin 2009, 42, 45-7) HOUSE 1 (int. dims 12m NE-SW; 5.5m NW-SE) was the larger of two structures aligned with the present road. It was defined by drystone-built walls (Wth 0.6-1.07m; H 0.2m) surviving up to two courses and built directly on the natural subsoil or a layer of soft, grey silty sand with charcoal inclusions, although the original walls are likely to have been much wider (Wth c. 1.2m) with flush faces. No trace of its NE gable or the N part of its NW wall survived but its outline is preserved in the straight edge of the metalled surface surrounding it. There is an entrance (Wth 1.1m) on the long SE wall which allows the metalled surface to spread into the interior. There are no internal post-holes but it is likely that roof supports would have stood on stone pads. The long axis of the house is parallel with the present N51 Athboy to Navan road and the metalled surfaces associated with it probably melded into the original road. House 2 is just 1m to the SW. (Martin 2009, 26-7) The interior held habitation deposits from which numerous sherds of medieval pottery were recovered. A charred wheat grain from one of the higher layers, and probably from a second phase of occupation, returned a C14 date of 1270-1400 cal. AD (Beta 247101) which accords well with the associated ceramic evidence. At the centre a single hearth (diam. 1.25-1.3m; T 0.05m) with a scorched base was in the upper levels of the habitation. Its N edge was cut by a pit and there were other pits in the floor as well as stake-holes which may have been related to the hearth. A large pit (dims 4.4m x 2.5m; D 0.7m) pre-dating the house and partly underlying the SW gable of this house and the NE gable of House 2 was connected by an S-shaped drainage channel (L 5.5m; Wth 0.65m; D 0.25m) to the entrance area in the SE wall of the house. From the large quantity of nails recovered it is suggested that the roof might have been provided by shingles rather than slates or thatch (Martin 2009, 9-11). About 3m outside the house to the S, a pit (dims 2.55m x 1m; D 0.83m) abutted the S edge of the metalled area. It produced sherds of glazed and unglazed pottery but a fragment of human cranium returned a C14 date of 1260-1390 cal. AD (Beta 217100) and both the material and the date matches the results from inside the house. (Martin 2009, 25) METALLED SURFACES: The metalled surfaces around the houses were in two areas - between the houses and the road (max. dims 34.2m NE-SW; 9.25m NW-SE) and just outside the doorway in the SE wall of House 1, spreading NE and SE (dims 8.9m NE-SW; c. 7.25m NW-SE; T 0.13m). Fragments of walling around the edges of this area suggest it was enclosed (dims c. 7m NE-SW; c. 7m NW-SE) and walls within intimate further that it might have had an outhouse. A number of pits with ceramic fragments were cut into its surface, and drains extended SE from it keeping it dry. The larger area NW of the houses could have merged into the road and it had some drains and sumps. A large NW-SE drainage ditch c. 5m NE of House 1, pre-dated the laying of this surface as the metalling extended into its fill. This surface was cut by a NW-SE drain that was just NE of House 1, and it is undoubtedly the same surface as that attached to the road further SW in Area 2 (total L c. 65m). Numerous artefacts were recovered from the surface, including some post-medieval ceramics and it is likely that it remained functional into that period. (Martin 2009, 16-20, 38-9) Two major NW-SE ditches, 50m apart, enclosed the two houses and might be primary features. The drain NE of the houses pre-dated the metalled area NW of the houses, but there were many other slighter drains and gullies on the same general alignment extending from the road and its metalled margin or the houses into the fields to the SE. A gilded copper alloy brooch with a flower motif was recovered from the drain c. 15m SW of House 2 which also produced post-medieval pottery that is probably intrusive, caused by the insertion of a stone drain (L 17.5m). This ditch was re-cut in the post-medieval period, and the metalled surface (Wth c. 7m) extending SE from the main road is associated with this re-cut. (Martin 2009, 20-23) See the attached plans from Martin (2009, figs 10, 11, 16) _01 location; _02 plan, _03 pit under Houses 1 and 2; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 12 April 2023 Fairburn, N. 2004 M3 Clonee-North of Kells. Contract 3 – Navan Bypass. Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 7, Boyerstown, County Meath. Licence: 04E0580. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services Martin, K. 2009 M3 Clonee-North of Kells. Contract 3 – Navan Bypass. Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Boyerstown 1, Co. Meath. Licence: E003105. Final Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services