10.01.2014 Views

EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Meath<br />

Simonstown, Co. Meath<br />

Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure<br />

Grid reference: N857705 (28570/27050)<br />

SMR No: N/A<br />

Excavation Licence No: N/A<br />

Excavation duration/year: N/A<br />

Site director: E.P. Kelly (National Museum)<br />

A large early medieval enclosure was excavated at Simonstown and the site was a focus of a<br />

number of periods spanning the Neolithic until the early medieval period.<br />

<strong>The</strong> enclosure had a diameter of 75m. Within this was a small circular house that measured<br />

5m in diameter and an area where iron smelting occurred. A number of artefacts were<br />

retrieved including glass beads, fragments of jet bracelets and some iron knives.<br />

Earlier activity was represented by the foundations of a large sub-rectangular house that<br />

measured 10.5m by 6.25m. Its date was not determined but it predated the enclosure as did<br />

a number of Neolithic pits and hearths which were stratified under the enclosure’s bank.<br />

Contemporary activity was recorded in the neighbouring townland of Randalstown to the west<br />

including excavations of an ecclesiastical settlement at St Anne’s Chapel (Kelly 1975:033,<br />

1976) and two souterrains (Campbell 1985:044, 1986:065).<br />

(No plans were available for this site).<br />

References:<br />

Campbell, K. 1985:044. Randalstown, Co. Meath. www.excavations.ie.<br />

Campbell, K. 1986:065. Randalstown, Co. Meath. www.exacvations.ie.<br />

Kelly, E. P. 1975:033. Simonstown, Co. Meath. www.excavations.ie.<br />

Kelly, E. P. 1981. A short study of the botanical zones on a ringfort at Simonstown, Co Meath,<br />

used as an aid to the recovery of archaeological features, in<br />

(ed.) Irish<br />

Antiquity: Essays and Studies Presented to Professor M.J. O'Kelly, 67–77. Dublin. Four Courts<br />

Press.<br />

528

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!