Structure in Rath (ratoath By., Cookstown Par.)

Situated at the bottom of a SW-facing slope with a canalised W-E stream immediately to the S. Archaeological excavation (03E1214) by H. Schweitzer between March and October 2004 in advance of the northern section of the N2 by-pass around Ashbourne on site 27 involved the complete excavation of six areas numbered from the S. Features recorded in Area 1 adjacent to the stream included two structures interpreted as steam-lodges. (Schweitzer 2009, 14) This structure is situated c. 15m ESE of the Bronze Age steam-lodge (ME039-010----) and c. 5m E of the water-hole, which is an amorphous pit (dims c. 8.5m x c. 7.5m; max. D c. 2m at S) but a deliberate construct. This structure is a rectangular feature (dims 3m NE-SW; 2.8-3.2m NW-SE) defined by three large post-holes on the NW and SE walls. It may have been open at the SW, and a hearth outside its NE wall had a flue running SW through the structure. There is a rectangular trough (dims 2.05m N-S; 1.35m E-W; D 0.15-0.38m) outside it just to the W, and various pits to the NW and SE, but the latter were truncated at S by the creation of two terraces leading down to the stream. The hearth, which probably had a clay and wattle superstructure, produced a C14 date of 370-110 cal. BC. (ibid. 30-31), and a burnt spread beginning c. 4-5m to the SE and extending outside the excavated area is thought to be waste associated with the hearth as it seals a deposit in which a late La Téne fibula was found (ibid. 35-6). A gully (Wth 1.2m; D 0.25-0.6m) curves around the structure NW-NE c. 3-5m distant, taking excess water from the Bronze Age water hole to the W away from the structure. (Schweizer 2009, 29-35) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 3 March 2021