Field boundary in Roestown (ratoath By.)

While the large enclosure, rath and burial ground are preserved under introduced soil in a green area all the available external area was excavated (15E0125) under the direction of S. McGlade in 2018-19 (excavations.ie 2019:474). Elements of a field system are present in long ditches that extend across the excavated area. One, which is probably contemporary with the long Path 1 begins within the N annexe and extends SE but was cut by the re-cutting of the E ditch of the annexe. This long ditch is broken where the path is and takes up again on its E side. A gap (Wth 4.8m) further along is an access point, so the ditch is not for drainage. It was cut towards its E end by a N-S ditch which in turn truncated the metaled area associated with the cereal-drying focal point at NE. The N-S ditch turned E over the line of the N ditch defining the metalled area. Two sherds of Bronze Age pottery were recovered from its N end and may have derived from the ring-ditch in the vicinity. About 30-40m to the W a parallel N-S ditch was wider and post-medieval in date as it truncated the WNW-ESE boundary ditch associated with the N annexe and a wide E-W ditch at the S edge of the excavation that truncated Structures 2 and 3 and Path 2 leading to them but the relationship of this E-W feature with the rath fosses is obscured by later cuts. The wide N-S ditch could be that which is represented on the 1838 edition of the OS six-inch map. Although some boundaries may be parallel they are not necessarily contemporary and a unified field system is not present. Few features can be directly associated with the boundaries, but burning events, evidenced as the scorching of the subsoil, occurred in the open spaces between them. (McGlade 2020, vol. 1, 96-100) Further N-S ditches are present S of the rath that pre-date every other feature in this area. A narrow N-S gully (Wth 1.08m; D 0.42m) was cut by all other features it encounters, including ditches of the rectilinear and curvilinear S annexes. A nearly parallel gully (Wth 1.6m; D 0.26m) c. 12-17m to the E also pre-dates these major features in the area. A larger ditch (Wth c. 3m; D 0.61) c. 17-20m further E is also early and cuts the ditches of the curvilinear S annexe and the W edge of a possible curving feature (int. diam. 4.85m plus) that is defined by a shallow ditch (Wth 1.2m; D 0.23m) and extends off the excavated area to the E. The narrow N-S gully is shown by the gradiometer survey to extend N as far as the fosse of the rath/large enclosure and it may have served initially to drain this fosse. The larger ditch had numerous re-cuttings but one major re-cut (Wth c. 2.1m; D c. 0.8m) that was not as deep as the original was placed on its W side and almost doubled its apparent width. The final re-cut post-dated the cutting of this major drain by the ditches of both the rectilinear and curvilinear S annexes. (McGlade 2020, vol. 1, 229-336) See the attached plans of field boundaries from McGlade (2020, P 90, 224) _1 E of the rath; _2 S of the rath; Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 3 May 2022