Enclosure in Johnstown (ratoath By., Dunshaughlin Par.)

Situated on a slight S-facing slope. The enclosure (diam. c. 50m) was first identified in a geophysical survey (06R0087) by J. Nicholls and its fosse was visible on the surface as a slight depression. Its presence was confirmed in archaeological centre-line testing (04E0476) by E. Cotter at Testing Area 15 of Contract 1, prior to the construction of the M3 motorway (excavations.ie: 2004:1253), and the 40% within the road-take was excavated (E003041) by S. Elder as Johnstown 1 during February to July 2006 (excavations.ie 2006:1571). The enclosure is defined by a gently rounded fosse (Wth of top c. 4m; D c. 0.85m) that was excavated NW-E-SE of the centre. An inner fosse (Wth of top 1.3m; D 0.6m) c. 10m inside the course of the outer fosse at SE appears to have been cut by the outer fosse, but this also separates the SE canton from the rest of the enclosure. The outer fosse produced little material other than animal bone, particularly at SE where it is thought that the entrance may have been but there is no evidence of an uncut causeway. Thirty animals are represented in the faunal collection from the fosse which is dominated by cattle (13) followed by sheep/goat (8), horse (6), pig (2) and dog (1). A bone from the base of the ditch produced a C14 date of 695-9667 cal. AD. The inner fosse produced little other than flints. A drain, originating in a pit (diam. 2.01-2.22m; D 0.72m) c. 20m outside the enclosure to the N, extended S as far as the outer fosse. Sixty post-holes and 49 stake-holes were recorded, largely inside the enclosure, but no pattern was discernible apart from a line of post-holes on the inner edge of the outer fosse at E that could represent a palisade, and there were also clusters around the putative entrance at SE, both inside and outside the fosse. (Elder and Ginn 2009, 4-5) Three structures, defined by slot-trenches but with few or no post-holes or internal features and therefore more probably drip-gullies, were c. 6-12m inside the line of the outer fosse, and another structure was c. 10m outside the enclosure at E. Almost the only material recovered from the structures was flint but an iron shears was found in the trench of Structure C, and the structures within the enclosure are probably contemporary with it. Structure A is subrectangular (int. dims c. 5.5m x c. 4.7m) and defined by wide trenches (Wth 0.7-0.8m; D 0.2m) at N and S but there are wide gaps at W (Wth c. 2.7m) and E (Wth c. 2.4m). Structure B, inside the outer fosse at E, was defined by a semi-circular (int. diam. c. 3.3m), steep-sided and flat-bottomed slot-trench (Wth 0.4m; D 0.3m) open to the SE. Structure C, just to the S of B, was a large semi-circular (int. diam. c. 10m) slot-trench in three sections open to the E. The trench varied in width and depth, being greatest (Wth c. 0.85m; D c. 0.2m) at NW, and there is an opening (Wth c. 1.5m) between two sections of the slot-trench at W with a large pit (diam. 2.24-2.4m; D 0.3m) inside the opening. (ibid, 5-6) Structure D (int. dims c. 5m E-W; c. 1.5-2m N-S), 10m E of the enclosure, is defined by a slot-trench or drip gully (Wth c. 1m; D 0.1-0.2m) at N and S, with openings at E (Wth c. 2.2m), partly occupied by a pit, and W (Wth c. 1m). A C14 date of 3623-3357 cal. BC dating it to the early Neolithic was derived from charcoal in the N trench, so it pre-dates all the other features in the excavated area. Whatever its function it is probably responsible for all the flint and chert recovered from the later features. (ibid. 6-7, 14-16) Several pits were distributed around the excavated area, both within and outside the enclosure, but they produced little material and this was mostly flint. Three features, one inside and two outside the enclosure but not relating directly to other features, are identified as hearths. Four gullies extended through the excavated area and seem to relate to the outer enclosure fosse. (ibid. 2-9) See the attached plan from Elder and Ginn (2009, fig. 7) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 9 December 2021