Habitation site 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 proved to be a ring-ditch (ME044-071----) and 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 this evidence of habitation (excavations.ie 2006:1630). A large pit (diam. 2.42-2.57m; D 0.28m) has eight spaced post-holes cut in its base and there are other smaller pits in the area. All the pits are filled with soils that contain charcoal flecks and burnt clay as well as decayed stone, but all the features may have been devoted to the production of charcoal. Just SW of the pits were concentrations of post-holes where five possible structures might be identified. Four of these are circular hut-sites overlapping each other and extending in a line NW-SE. Five post-holes may have formed a circular structure (diam. 3.25m) designated A, although many post-holes may have been removed by the second structure (diam. 3.25m), from which eight post-holes can be identified. A third structure (diam. c. 5-5.5m) has five post-holes including a central one. A fourth structure (diam. 7.5m) has a recognisable entrance porch (Wth c. 0.6m) at SE, but only five other post-holes might have been incorporated in it. The fifth structure (dims 2m NE-SW; 1.75m NW-SE) was a setting of four post-holes just S of the largest hut-site. No hearths are present and no artefacts seem to have been recovered from this area, apart from a possible hone-stone. (Elder et al. 2009, 13-15) See the attached plans from Elder et al. (2009, figs 8, 10) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 13 December 2021