EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Meath
Ninch, Laytown, Co. Meath
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure Complex
Grid reference: O16237195 (31623/27195)
SMR No: ME028-025
Excavation Licence No: 98E0501
Excavation Duration/Year: 2001; 2002
Site director: C. McConway (ADS Ltd.)
Ninch excavated in advance of a residential development was a large multi-period enclosure
complex and burial site that dated from prehistory until the late medieval period. The
northern half of the site consisted of four large, roughly concentric, sub-circular enclosures
dating between approximately the sixth and tenth centuries. Also present was a cemetery,
circular house slots, two souterrains, a well, pits, slots, gullies, cobbled surfaces and animal
enclosures dating up until the eleventh century. A series of large enclosures dominated the
southern part of the site. At least eight early medieval phases were identified. The site
occupied the summit and the eastern slope of a low ridge that ran parallel along the coast
with views of the Irish Sea.
The first early medieval phase included an oval enclosure to the north of the site. It
measured 38m by 25m, and was situated at the highest point. An entrance was located to
the east and a second entrance, to the west, was evident after the enclosure had been recut.
Phase 2 involved the construction of a second large sub-circular enclosure – internal
dimensions of 34m by 39m – that enclosed the earlier Phase I enclosure. Only part of this
was excavated as it continued beyond the excavation limit. Sherds of E ware were recovered
from the upper fills of this ditch as well as bone comb fragments, bone needles, knives, iron
slag, shell and animal bone. The presence of E ware from the upper ditch fills indicate that
the enclosure was still open between the sixth and mid-seventh centuries and was
constructed sometime before this.
During Phase III, a third enclosure – measuring 50m by 43m – enclosed the above
enclosures and cut the Phase II enclosure on its northern side. The enclosures were situated
along the higher part of the ridge and enclosed only a minor number of features. This can be
explained by heavy truncation of the site.
During Phase IV, the above enclosures were filled-in and replaced by an open settlement.
This consisted of slot trenches between 6.5m and 7m in diameter, which probably enclosed
dwellings, an extensive cobbled pathway and field boundaries.
Five variously sized oval enclosures have been assigned to Phase V and probably functioned
as livestock enclosures because they lacked internal features and occupational evidence.
A series of gullies, slots and ditches – that produced charcoal, crushed shell and animal bone
– and a fourth large structure, 8.5m in diameter, were assigned to Phase VI. They post-dated
Phases’ IV and V and pre-dated the seventh phase. However, their relationship to the animal
enclosures of Phase V is unclear.
McConway has assigned the cemetery to Phase VII. A large enclosure, measuring 80m eastwest
by 80m north-south, enclosed all of the above features and cut features associated with
Phases IV–VI. The enclosing ditch was 5m wide and 2m in depth and was also re-cut on its
western side. The burials were mainly located at the centre of this enclosure and a total of 79
articulated burials, and a further thirteen disarticulated burials, were excavated. The majority
lay in an area measuring 7m by 4.5m. Two were placed in stone-lined graves to the west and
the remainder of burials were located to the east and south. Most were in simple unlined
graves and were oriented slightly north-west/south-east, with the head to the west. However,
three burials had slight south-west/north-east orientations and one poorly preserved and
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