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AR01055_EMAP_Gazetteer_of_Sites_4-2_10.pdf - The Heritage ...

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Meath<br />

Randalstown, Co. Meath<br />

Early Medieval Unenclosed Souterrains and Well<br />

Grid reference: N84217162 (284213/271627); N84037124 (285034/271248);<br />

N84087139 (284080/271394)<br />

SMR No: ME025-001; ME025-003; ME025-045<br />

Excavation License No: N/A<br />

Excavation duration/year: 1985; 1986<br />

Site director: K. Campbell (Freelance)<br />

Two souterrains were excavated in advance <strong>of</strong> the construction <strong>of</strong> a dam at Randalstown. An<br />

ecclesiastical settlement was also excavated in the same townland at St Anne’s church (Kelly<br />

1975:033, 1976:020), as was a large early medieval settlement enclosure in the neighbouring<br />

townland <strong>of</strong> Simonstown to the east (Kelly 1975:032, 1981).<br />

<strong>The</strong> first souterrain (ME025-001) was located 180m north <strong>of</strong> St. Anne's church and consisted<br />

<strong>of</strong> a 13.4m long passage which was 1.2m wide. A set <strong>of</strong> postholes were identified at the<br />

entrance indicating the former presence <strong>of</strong> a doorway. <strong>The</strong> floor deposit contained cattle,<br />

sheep, pig, cat and bird bones and the point <strong>of</strong> a bone pin. A series <strong>of</strong> postholes and pits<br />

were identified beside the entrance and this may have marked a dwelling site. <strong>The</strong> pits<br />

contained charcoal and fragmentary animal bone, mostly teeth.<br />

<strong>The</strong> second souterrain (ME025-003) was situated on the summit <strong>of</strong> a low hill and was located<br />

840m east <strong>of</strong> the above. It was L-shaped in plan and was entered along an 8m-long curving<br />

ramp to a step which led up into the main passage running at a right-angle to the left. <strong>The</strong><br />

latter was 11.7m in length and ended in a beehive chamber measuring 3.1m in diameter. <strong>The</strong><br />

souterrain had been largely destroyed and only a few stones <strong>of</strong> the base course on the ramp<br />

remained. <strong>The</strong> beehive chamber was ro<strong>of</strong>less but five capstones remained in the passage<br />

where the walls were intact. <strong>The</strong> passage began with a creep, which was 0.45m high, and<br />

increased in height towards the chamber until it was 1m high and 0.9m wide. Cattle, sheep,<br />

pig and cat bones were found on the ramp floor and the only other find was the endplate <strong>of</strong> a<br />

composite bone comb at the back <strong>of</strong> the chamber.<br />

Five pits were located near the chamber. One contained the articulated bones <strong>of</strong> ten horse<br />

feet, one complete horse skull, the jawbones <strong>of</strong> two others and a bone pin. A small flint<br />

arrowhead was found on the surface.<br />

An area around a well – known as the Meara Well (ME025-045) – was also investigated and a<br />

bronze pin, with watchwinder head and zig-zag ornament on the stem, came from the base<br />

<strong>of</strong> the clay. <strong>The</strong>se types <strong>of</strong> stick pins have been dated to the last quarter <strong>of</strong> the tenth century<br />

until the end <strong>of</strong> the eleventh century (O’Rahilly 1998, 23–4). A granite saddle quern and boatshaped<br />

rubbing stone, a flint round-scraper and end-scraper, a fragment <strong>of</strong> bronze possibly<br />

from a palstave and a small quantity <strong>of</strong> animal bone were recovered from the surface and<br />

disturbed areas around the well.<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. 1975:032. Randalstown, Co. Meath. www.excavations.ie.<br />

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

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