Hut site in Roestown (ratoath By.)

In Area B three structures within Enclosure 1 are probably associated with its establishment and early use during Phase 1 in the mid sixth century. Structure A is on the inner side of the fosse at N and consists of a curving drip-gully (Wth 0.25; D 0.2m) around a subcircular area (int. dims c. 7m E-W; c. 6m N-S). Much of the interior, especially at E, was destroyed by later features. Within the base of the gully were six post-holes that are possibly related to it but other post-holes were outside it to the N and two were in the fill of the gully. Structure B is inside the fosse at S and is a semi-circular drip-gully (Wth 0.36m; D 0.21m) enclosing a small area (diam. 4m) but it had no associated features such as post-holes. Some paved areas and other gullies are in the vicinity and these could represent pens abutting an absent bank. Sherds of E-ware were recovered in this area, and the circular drip-gully was cut by a secondary sub-division of the interior of Enclosure 1. Structure C was E of B and consists of drip-gullies enclosing a rectangular area (dims 7m NW-SE; 6.5m NE-SW). No post-holes or hearths are associated with this structure and much of the interior was removed by later features. An iron nail and a copper-alloy pin fragment were recovered from the gullies. Structure E is a collection of eight post-holes immediately to the NW of structure A and forms an L-shaped line that could have been a lean-to against the bank of Enclosure 1. (O’Hara 2009, 29-31; 2009a) Structure D is a circular area (int. diam. c. 4m) within the ambit of Enclosure 10, an early, although secondary, annexe of Phase 1 on the E side of the rath, Enclosure 1 and might be dated to the early seventh century. The structure is defined by two drip-gullies that are truncated by later features. A crucible fragment was found in one of the gullies, and bone trial-pieces were found in contemporary levels within the fosse of Enclosure 1 c. 10m W of this feature. This suggests that it may have been devoted to metal-working, but there are no post-holes or hearths associated with the structure and metal waste was not recovered in the vicinity. (O’Hara 2009, 31) See the attached images from O'Hara (2009, figs 7, 44) _2 Site plan; _3 Phase 1; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 26 April, 2022 O’Hara, R. 2009 M3 Clonee - North of Kells, Contract 2 Dunshaughlin - Navan. Final Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Roestown 2, Co. Meath. Licence: E003055. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services O’Hara, R. 2009a Early Medieval Settlement at Roestown 2. In Deevy, M. and Donald Murphy 2009 Places Along the Way, 57-82. NRA Scheme Monographs: 5.