Athlone Scheme Phase 2: Kilbeggan to Athlone Dual Carriageway: Archaeological Assessment
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N6 KINNEGAD – ATHLONE SCHEME PHASE 2: KILBEGGAN TO ATHLONE DUAL CARRIAGEWAY SITE A016/032; E2660: WILLIAMSTOWN 1 FINAL REPORT ON BEHALF OF WESTMEATH COUNTY COUNCIL 18 JUNE 2009 PROJECT DETAILS N6 Kinnegad–Athlone Road Scheme: Project Phase 2, Kilbeggan–Athlone Dual Carriageway Project Reference No. WH/00/112 Ministerial Direction Reference No. A016/032 Registration Number E2660 Excavation Director Ed Lyne Senior Archaeologist Shane Delaney Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Consultant Bray, Co. Wicklow Client Westmeath County Council Site Name Williamstown 1 Site Type Burnt Mound Townland Williamstown Parish Ballyloughloe County Westmeath NGR (Easting) 212400 (Area A) & 212456 (Area B) NGR (Northing) 238450 (Area A) & 238415 (Area B) Chainage 7210–7290 Height m OD 71m OD (Area A) 70m OD (Area B) RMP No. N/A Excavation Start Date 05 April 2006 Excavation Duration 17 days Report Type Final Report Date 18 June 2009 Report By Ed Lyne N6 Kinnegad - Athlone Road Scheme: Phase 2, Kilbeggan – Athlone Dual Carriageway Williamstown 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report has been prepared by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd on behalf of Westmeath County Council and the National Roads Authority in advance of the construction of the N6 Phase 2: Kilbeggan to Athlone Dual Carriageway Scheme. The excavation was carried out in accordance with the Directions of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG), in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) issued under Section 14 of the National Monuments Acts 1930–2004. CONSULTING ENGINEERS Project manager – Harry Meighan, ROD/RH WSP JV Project engineer – Morgan Hart, ROD/RH WSP JV Project Resident Engineer – Michael Brazil, ROD/RH WSP JV Resident Engineer – Cliff Webb, ROD/RH WSP JV NRDO WESTMEATH COUNTY COUNCIL Senior Engineer – John Ahern Project Engineer – Michael Kelly Project Liaison officer – Niall Kennedy NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY Engineering Inspector – John McGuinness Senior Project Archaeologist – Ronan Swan Project Archaeologist – Orlaith Egan NATIONAL MONUMENTS, DOEHLG Archaeologist – Martin Reid IRISH ANTIQUITIES DIVISION, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND REPORT PRODUCTION Report Formatting and Editing – Joanne O’Meadhra Elder, Maeve Tobin, John Winfer, Shane Delaney and Fintan Walsh Report Research – Jonathan Kinsella and Eimear O’Connor i Irish Archaeological Consultancy N6 Kinnegad - Athlone Road Scheme: Phase 2, Kilbeggan – Athlone Dual Carriageway Williamstown 1 ABSTRACT Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC), funded by Westmeath County Council (WCC) and the National Roads Authority (NRA), undertook an excavation in the townland of Williamstown at the site of Williamstown 1 in advance of the proposed N6 Phase 2: Kilbeggan to Athlone Dual Carriageway Scheme (Figure 1). The following report describes the final results of archaeological fieldwork at that site. The area was fully excavated by Ed Lyne under Ministerial Direction (A016/032) and NMS Registration Number E2660 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland. The fieldwork took place between the 5 and the 21 of April 2006. Williamstown 1 consisted of two areas, A and B. The archaeological remains in both areas comprised of burnt mounds. Area A consisted of a large mound (12m x 11m x 0.6m deep), located on a dry elevated position on a southeast-facing hillside. It was adjacent to a low-lying former wetland. This mound was associated with a number of pits and possible troughs. In Area B, 100 m southeast of Area A, a smaller shallow spread (10.5m x 9m x 0.2m deep) was excavated; this was located in a low-lying wetland environment. No further features were identified in Area B, and it is likely that it represents satellite activity from Area A. Two probable troughs appeared to be the key features on site; a sample of hazel and alder charcoal recovered from one returned a 2 Sigma calibrated date of 1600– 1420 BC (3220 +/- 40 BP, Beta 249537) placing the site within an early to middle Bronze Age date range. Burnt mounds generally date to the Bronze Age, and while various functions are suggested, they are often interpreted as cooking sites. Burnt mounds are generally located close to a water source. While Area A was on the side of a gravelly hill, the low lying area surrounding Area B appeared to be frequently waterlogged despite modern drainage. Area A was less than 20m from the edge of this wetland area. Analysis of material from Area B revealed plant remains of hawthorn, bramble, raspberry, elder and buttercup. This may simply reflect the growth of these plants in the environs of the site subsequent to its abandonment; alternatively these species may have been deliberately collected on site either to be used as a foodstuff or perhaps for dyeing. Finds recovered included six pieces of worked flint and chert, including a retouched chert blade. This came from the base of the burnt mound in Area A. Analysis indicates that some of the lithic material may be Neolithic in date suggesting activity in the area during that period, or the re-use of Neolithic material on site in the Bronze Age. Williamstown 1 was located c. 700m west of another burnt mound at Williamstown 2, dated to between 910 BC and 595 BC. It post dates Williamstown 1 by at least 500 years but indicates a continuity of function within the later Bronze Age period. Irish Archaeological Consultancy ii N6 Kinnegad - Athlone Road Scheme: Phase 2, Kilbeggan – Athlone Dual Carriageway Williamstown 1 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 1.1 General.............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Proposed Development..................................................................................... 1 1.3 Archaeological Requirements ........................................................................... 1 1.4 Methodology...................................................................................................... 2 2 EXCAVATION RESULTS ................................................................................. 3 2.1 Phase 1: Natural Drift Geology.......................................................................... 3 2.2 Phase 2: Prehistoric Archaeological Activity ..................................................... 3 2.2.1 Southern Trough C25........................................................................................ 3 2.2.2 Small Pit C21 cut into Southern Trough C25 .................................................... 3 2.2.3 Northern Trough C36 ........................................................................................ 4 2.2.4 Possible Small Pit C33 ...................................................................................... 4 2.2.5 Small Pits C31 and C32 .................................................................................... 4 2.2.6 Burnt Spreads C4 (Area A) and C6 (Area B) .................................................... 5 2.2.7 Possible Waste Pit or Trough C13 .................................................................... 5 2.2.8 Stakehole C35................................................................................................... 6 2.2.9 Possible Trough or Waste Pit C27 .................................................................... 6 2.3 Phase 3: Medieval/Post-Medieval and Modern Activity-Area A and B.............. 6 2.3.1 Drainage Ditch C11, Modern Ditch C37 and Furrow C38 ................................. 6 2.4 Phase 4: Topsoil................................................................................................ 7 2.4.1 Topsoil............................................................................................................... 7 3 SYNTHESIS AND DISCUSSION...................................................................... 8 3.1 Landscape Setting............................................................................................. 8 3.2 Archaeological Landscape (The Bronze Age)................................................... 8 3.3 Archaeological Typology Background (Burnt Mounds) ................................... 11 3.4 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 12 3.4.1 Phase 1: Natural deposits ............................................................................... 12 3.4.2 Phase 2: Prehistoric Archaeological Activity ................................................... 12 3.4.3 Phase 3: Post-Medieval and Modern Activity-Area A and B ........................... 14 3.4.4 Phase 4: Topsoil.............................................................................................. 14 4 CONCLUSIONS.............................................................................................. 15 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................. 17 5.1 References ...................................................................................................... 17 5.2 Other Sources ................................................................................................. 19 PLATES..................................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX 1 CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA.................................................... I Appendix 1.1 Context Register ...................................................................................i