Ring-ditch in Raynestown

Situated on a natural gravel rise in a gently undulating landscape. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E0472) by E. Cotter (2004) at Testing Area 11 of Contract 1 prior to the construction of the M3 motorway identified a small enclosure (excavations.ie: 2004:1333) that was fully excavated (E003038) by S. D. Elder as Raynestown 1 (Elder et al. 2009) in July-September 2006 together with nearby kilns (ME044-071001-) and evidence of habitation (ME044-071002-) (excavations.ie 2006:1630). The enclosure is a double ring-ditch consisting of an inner area (int. diam. 5.6-6.1m) defined by a V-shaped ditch (Wth of top 1.55-1.8m; max. D 0.45m) separated by a berm (Wth c. 3.5m) from an outer V-shaped ditch (Wth of top up to 3m; max. D 1.5m) with no causeways (ext. diam. 22.3m E-W; 21.7m N-S). There was little evidence of silting in the ditches and none of slumping, while both ditches underwent major partial re-cuts twice and many lesser ones. Nor was there evidence of a central pit or even a central mound. There was no evidence of upstanding banks, although gravel concentrations at the outer sides of both ditches suggest that an outer bank accompanied each ditch. The concentrations of material in some contexts within the ditches suggests that the monument was probably the focus of short sporadic periods of use. A large quantity of animal bone was recovered from the ditches, and there were deposits of charcoal and cremated bone in the final re-cut of the outer ditch in the E quadrant, and discrete cremated deposits were also recovered from the inner ditch. Fragments of unburned human skulls were found at three points in the outer ditch. Artefacts included flint waste, a piece of a bronze pin, unidentifiable iron fragments, and sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery, although one piece of an Early Bronze Age Vase Urn is also present. There was also an antler handle, and a piece of antler with a groove. A C14 date of 1880-1630 cal. BC was derived from the bottom of the inner ditch, while a date of 780-410 cal. BC was returned from its top, which is more akin to the dates from the outer fosse that produced a range of 1000-810 cal. BC from three samples in its central deposits. (Elder et al. 2009, 2-11) Over 1200 sherds of pottery were recovered, three quarters of which were from the outer fosse. The pottery was generally well-fired domestic ware of flat-bottomed type, although some large heavy vessels were present. Some sherds had faint lines of burning around the rim, suggesting they may have had lids. Many of the sherds were cleanly broken, intimating it had happened on site, as would be the case with two smashed vessels from the W part of the inner ditch that were almost completely present. The animal bone assemblage is dominated by cattle followed by pig and smaller quantities of red deer and sheep, and almost three quarters of the identifiable bones were cranial. (Elder et al. 2009) See the attached plan from Elder et al. (2009, fig. 8) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 13 December 2021