Structure in Chapelbride

Situated on a shelf on a NE and E-facing slope. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E1054) by D. Bayley (2005) at Testing Area 3 of Contract 5 of the M3 motorway (excavations.ie 2004:1223) identified archaeological material that was fully resolved (E003169) by E. Danaher between November 2006 and March 2007 as Chapelbride 4 (excavations.ie 2006:1528). Few stratigraphic relationships could be established, but elements of a field system, a hut-site and another structure as well as a ring-ditch testify to prehistoric activity and two corn-drying kilns extend into the first millennium AD. About 60m to the E of Structure A and the ring-ditch was a concentration of 15 stake-holes in a confined space (diam. c. 0.7m) with four adjacent post-holes within 1.5m. The form of the structure is unclear but the associated deposits produced Middle Bronze Age pottery, and samples of hazel and elm from three of the post-holes provided C14 dates of 1665-1453 cal. BC (Beta 247157), 1740-1528 cal. BC (Beta 247159) and 1670-1490 cal. BC (Beta 247157). (O’Hara et al. 2009, 4) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 4 March 2022 O’Hara, R., Gallagher, D. and V. Ginn 2009 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 5 Final Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Chapelbride 4, Co. Meath. Licence: E003169. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services