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

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Meath<br />

Ratoath, Co. Meath<br />

Early Medieval Settlement-Cemetery<br />

Grid reference: O01355215 (30135/25215)<br />

SMR No: N/A<br />

Excavation Licence No: 03E1300; 03E1632; 03E1781; 04E0218<br />

Excavation duration: October 2003 – July 2004<br />

Site director: A. Wallace, G. Dehaene (Arch-Tech Ltd.)<br />

Excavation in advance <strong>of</strong> a large-scale residential development on the western fringe <strong>of</strong><br />

Ratoath village revealed a large multi-period enclosed settlement, burial, agricultural and<br />

industrial complex (Fig. 261). Prehistoric activity consisted <strong>of</strong> a late Bronze Age ringditch and<br />

an Iron Age ringditch and cereal-drying kilns. A settlement-cemetery enclosure and<br />

associated agricultural and industrial features succeeded these during the early middle-ages<br />

while later medieval activity was also identified. <strong>The</strong> site was situated on the plateau <strong>of</strong> an<br />

east-west ridge on rich agricultural land.<br />

<strong>The</strong> enclosure measured 40m in internal diameter and its ditch had an average width <strong>of</strong><br />

2.77m and was 1.22m deep. Finds from the ditch fill included animal bone, a penannular<br />

brooch and an iron blade. <strong>The</strong> primary fill returned a date <strong>of</strong> A.D. 547-655 while an upper fill<br />

was dated to A.D. 647-778 (see below for radiocarbon dates).<br />

<strong>The</strong> cemetery, only partially excavated, was located in the south-east section <strong>of</strong> the<br />

enclosure. Forty nine burials were identified and a small quantity <strong>of</strong> disarticulated human<br />

bone was also present. <strong>The</strong> graveyard contained 32 adults, 13 juveniles, three infants and<br />

five deposits <strong>of</strong> disarticulated human remains. <strong>The</strong> majority were aligned west-east in simple<br />

unlined graves. Burials that deviated from this included a crouched adult lying on its left side<br />

(Burial 12; A.D. 426-600) and an adult with its legs tightly flexed on top <strong>of</strong> the stomach area<br />

(Burial 34; A.D. 569-671). Some extended burials were interred with grave-goods including a<br />

young female with a copper-alloy neck-ring (Burial 38; A.D. 668-832), an adult with an iron<br />

strap end (Burial 35), a juvenile with an iron needle and two pieces <strong>of</strong> slag (Burial 48) and an<br />

adult – with evidence for ante-mortem injuries to the skull – with an iron knife and a small<br />

iron fragment (Burial 46). <strong>The</strong> neck-ring is similar to an example found from a cemetery at<br />

Bergh Apton in Norfolk (O’Brien forthcoming). This suggests possible Anglo-Saxon contacts<br />

and cultural influences in Ratoath. Some <strong>of</strong> the burials (for example Burial 12) potentially predate<br />

the enclosure and this is in keeping with the evidence from many settlement-cemeteries<br />

whose origins lie in the Iron Age.<br />

A complex series <strong>of</strong> ditches, gullies and pits were identified within the enclosure which<br />

spanned the fourth to tenth centuries. No coherent plan for any domestic structures was<br />

identified but some <strong>of</strong> the gullies and slot trenches undoubtedly supported timber buildings. A<br />

series <strong>of</strong> curving gullies were identified in the south-west, north-west and north-east areas <strong>of</strong><br />

the enclosure and may relate to each other. <strong>The</strong>y possibly formed an enclosure –<br />

approximately 22m in diameter – but truncation, evidence for successive phases <strong>of</strong> rebuilding<br />

and limited excavation <strong>of</strong> the interior meant identifying relationships between the<br />

features was problematic. Some <strong>of</strong> the gullies pre-dated the enclosure construction while<br />

others were contemporary. A substantial east-west slot-trench returned a radiocarbon date <strong>of</strong><br />

A.D. 809-989 which was chronologically later than a date taken from the upper fill <strong>of</strong> the<br />

enclosure ditch. Another gully, which formed part <strong>of</strong> a boundary to the cemetery on its<br />

western side, was dated to A.D. 685-892. <strong>The</strong> relationship between the interior features is<br />

difficult to assess. Although no hearths were identified, some oval-shaped pits, areas <strong>of</strong><br />

scorching and finds from the enclosure ditches and gullies, such as large quantities <strong>of</strong> animal<br />

bone, suggest settlement activity. A number <strong>of</strong> unstratified finds were also discovered and<br />

are representative <strong>of</strong> habitation including complete and fragmented bone tools that were<br />

largely associated with weaving, a spindle whorl, lignite bracelet fragments, a blue glass<br />

bead, a fragment <strong>of</strong> an amber bead, two bone comb fragments, rubbing stones and many<br />

572

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