CASTLEFARM 1
| Site Name/ Townland | Description | Basic Interpretation | Provisional dating |
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| Castlefarm 1 | Ditches, pits & spreads with pottery & metal | Settlement. | Early Medieval & Medieval |
Testing and Geophysical Survey
The site at Castlefarm, located just south of Dunboyne, was initially identified by geophysical survey undertaken in 2002. Testing carried out in 2004 confirmed that the site consisted of a group of pits, postholes, deposits and ditches defined to the south by a large ditch containing much animal bone, charcoal and some metalworking waste. Worked antler and a portion of a bone pin were also recovered.
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| Extract of 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (1836) showing location of site at Castlefarm 1, indicated by the blue circle on the left-hand side of the image. The road to the east of the site runs north-east to Dunboyne town, which is depicted in the top right corner of the image. Dunboyne Castle and its surrounding demense occupies the area shaded light grey to the east of the road and south of the town. (OS Sheet 50, Scale 1:10,560. Reproduced by courtesy of the Board of Trinity College Dublin). |
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| Medieval worked antler and a bone pin fragment from Castlefarm 1. (Courtesy of ACS Ltd.) |
The testing excavator suggested that the site may represent agricultural activity associated with the original Anglo-Norman manor of Dunboyne in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries.(Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 1 Section 1 Clonee-Dunshaughlin,M3 Clonee-North of Kells)
Excavation
A large enclosed early medieval and medieval settlement has been excavated by Aidan O’Connell (ACS Ltd) at Castlefarm, south of Dunboyne.
Features identified by the initial geophysical survey and subsequent testing were revealed to be part of a large circular enclosure when the excavation area was opened. This enclosure clearly extended outside the area of the road development and additional geophysical survey (see below) was carried out revealing its full extent of c. 70-80m diameter. Although the site had been identified during test excavation as probably medieval, full excavation has revealed that the main features on site originated in the early medieval period.
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| Early Medieval burial at Castlefarm |
The early medieval enclosure complex comprised an inner enclosure ditch, an outer enclosure ditch, a southern enclosure annex, and an outer enclosure re-cut or extension. Extensive ploughing in post-medieval and early modern times has, unfortunately, removed all traces of any internal banks and features of occupation, leaving only the bases of the enclosure ditches.
The waterlogged deposits in the nine wells excavated at the northern end of the site allowed good preservation of environmental remains and worked wood, including bucket staves, hoops, bases and handles. Fragments of worked leather were recovered from two of the wells, perhaps suggesting that some of these features may have been used in a semi-industrial context, such as textile production.
Artefacts found during excavation indicate a relatively high status settlement and include ring pins, metal and bone stick pins, a pennanular brooch, glass beads and bracelet fragments. Other artefacts recovered are illustrative of early medieval domestic life, with pottery sherds, knives and a spindle whorl representing the preparation and consumption of food and weaving on site.
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| Aerial view of Castlefarm site. Though the archaeological features extend outside of the landtake area, no surface indicators / crop marks are visible (Courtesy of Studio Lab) |
Eleven burials were also recorded at the site. Seven of these were arranged in the traditional Christian fashion, on their backs and oriented east-west. The burial posture in some cases also suggests that they were buried in a shroud, although no associated bone or metal pins or other grave goods were recovered.
Download a recently published article on Castlefarm 1 in our Publications section.
Artefacts
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| Decorated Medieval bone pin, likely to have been used as a dress fastener |
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| Silver Pennanular brooch |
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| Decorated bone handle showing dot and circle technique |
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| Selection of Early Medieval blue and green glass beads |
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| Wooden bucket stave. The notch on top may indicate the original position of the bucket handle (Courtesy of ACS Ltd.) |
Geophysical Survey
Additional geophysical (magnetometer) survey has been undertaken at Castlefarm 1 in order to determine the extent of the enclosure complex which had been revealed during the previous geophysical works and archaeological testing and to inform on the current phase of excavation.
This latest geophysical investigation at Castlefarm was carred out in three areas: Areas 1 & 3 are located within the existing landtake, while Area 2 lies immediately to the east of the landtake, beyond the current area of excavation.
The eastern section of a large circular enclosure measuring c. 70-80m in diameter was identified in Area 2. A number of anomalies located at the enclosure interior suggest the remains of possible pits and associated internal structures. Numerous linear responses and trends were also detected beyond the enclosure perimeter and some of these are likely to reflect part of an associated field system.
Although several linear and subangular anomalies of archaeological potential were identified in the eastern half of Area 1, the levels of ferrous disturbance here complicated interpretation. No clearly recognisable archaeological patterns were identified in Area 3.
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The geophysical interpretation (shown above) is based on the greyscale image from the geophysical survey (shown below). Features of archaeological potential (and other anomalies such as ploughing trends) are visible in the greyscale image as dark lines against the lighter grey background.
Each of these features or anomalies is distinguished in the geophysical interpretation as Archaeology (continuous purple line), Possible Archaeology (continuous blue line), Possible Trend (dashed blue line), Area of Increased Magnetic Response (Red speckled) or Ferrous (yellow). These features are shown in relation to the landtake of the proposed M3 road, which is indicated on the drawing by green lines.
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Please click here for the Geophysical Survey Report.
Return to Section 1.
Final Report
Please click on the link to access the final archaeological report for Castlefarm 1
| Final Report of Castlefarm 1 | 21.7MB |
