EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Meath
Platin, Co. Meath
1. Early Medieval Unenclosed Settlement/Industrial Site
2. Inland Promontory Fort
Grid reference: O08877526 (30887/27526)
SMR: ME020-014
Excavation Licence No: 00E0822, 01E0044
Excavation duration: November 2000 – March 2001, January – April 2001
Site director: R. Lynch (IAC Ltd.), M. Conway (ACS Ltd.)
1. Early Medieval Unenclosed Settlement/Industrial Site
The settlement at Platin – discovered in advance of the M1 road-scheme – was located
immediately north of the Duleek road 3km west of Drogheda and adjacent to the promontory
fort (ME020-014; see below). The site was situated on agriculturally productive pastoral land.
Two unenclosed successive circular structures were discovered (Fig. 245). The earliest
structure (Structure B), evident as two concentric gullies, measured 15m in diameter. This
represented the first phase of activity on site. The gullies were mostly filled through natural
deposition of wash material and slumping of their sides. The only finds included a piece of
iron slag, a flint waste flake, a fragment of a ceramic bead and a crucible sherd.
Structure B enclosed a number of pits that may have been contemporary. One – possibly a
domestic refuse pit – contained some horse teeth, fragments of animal bone and charcoal. A
central circular pit was also present which potentially supported a central roof support
although archaeological evidence for such was lacking.
The following phase incorporated the construction of Structure A which cut Structure B. Like
the latter, it was 15m in diameter and was defined by two curvilinear gullies. A number of
internal features or possible roof supports were present. The enclosure was horseshoeshaped
in plan and gaps or possible entrances were evident to the east and west. Twenty
eight stake holes were located along the inner edge of the northern gully and probably
formed the basis for a post-and-wattle wall. The southern section of the structure was also
defined by a foundation trench with a number of stake-holes, 38 in total, located along its
inner edge.
The archaeological evidence suggests that Structure A was dismantled at some stage as the
gully fills were subject to a number of episodes of natural silting, side slippage and infilling of
occupational material after the abandonment of the structure. Finds from the upper fills
included a whetstone, crucible fragments, glass beads, tuyère fragments and iron objects all
of which appeared to be associated with the Phase III industrial activity on site.
A number of features were located to the west of Structure A including a possible hearth,
which was truncated by a small pit, and a series of irregularly shaped pits which contained no
dating evidence.
Phase III consisted of two linear parallel gullies which were situated 4m apart from each
other and approximately 15m east of the structures. The fills of the first gully suggest that,
for the most part, it silted up naturally. The western end showed evidence for in situ burning
and contained frequent charcoal inclusions and a large concentration of animal bone. A sherd
of pottery, an iron nail and a copper-alloy ring were also recovered from its fill.
Approximately 4m to the south was a similar east–west-oriented linear gully which terminated
in a posthole at its western end. Industrial activity was evident in the middle part of the gully
evident as a high ash content with inclusions of burnt clay and charcoal. This fill also
contained slag and a crucible sherd. Below this was further evidence for in situ burning,
crucible sherds, ferrous material and a substance which had a glass-like appearance.
Immediately to the west was a layer of fire-reddened or burnt clay. A roughly east–westoriented
sub-linear cut was located to the south of the linear gullies. Its base contained a
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