Excavation — miscellaneous in Johnstown (ratoath By., Dunshaughlin Par.)

Situated on a slight S-facing slope. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E0476) by E. Cotter of Testing Area 15, Contract 1, prior to the construction of the M3 motorway (excavations.ie: 2004:1253) identified archaeological material that was completely excavated (E003043) by S. Elder as Johnstown 3 in January to March 2006 (excavations.ie 2006:1573) when a kiln (ME044-058001-) and these pits and hearths were recorded. The channel extending the flue of the kiln westward was cut by a pit (diam. 0.83m; D 0.24m) about half way along its length. The pit had seven fills and contained burnt sandstone together with burnt and unburnt animal bone, including cattle teeth and leg bones, horse leg and toe bones, and pig leg bones. There were also some flints and sherds from a Vase Urn and a Cordoned Urn. A C14 date of 2040-1772 cal. BC was provided by bone from the lowest fill. A small pit (diam. 0.7m; D 0.12m) with cremated bone in two of its three fills, located c. 10m SW of the kiln, is interpreted as a cremation pit, although the bone is not identified. A similar interpretation is provided for a straight sided pit (dims 1.34m x 1.2m; D 0.78m) pit c. 20m to the S of the kiln that was cut into bedrock, although its burnt bone is largely animal. Its complex stratigraphy had eight fills, and a C14 date of 1960-1750 cal. BC was provided by its earliest layer. The pit contained burnt and unburnt bone and flints, including what may be an unfinished arrowhead. There was a mix of pottery, which suggests the layers might all have been redeposited at the same time from various primary sources. The pottery included sherds from three Beaker vessels, and sherds from a Vase Urn, a Vase Food Vessel and a Cordoned Urn. Two hearths (dims 0.53m x 0.46m; D 0.08m: 0.77m x 0.68m; D 0.11m) and associated stake-holes are c. 12-15m to the NW. (Edler and Ginn 2009) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 9 December 2021