Archaeological excavation report, E2792 Demense or Mearsparkfarm 2, County Westmeath

At the request of Westmeath County Council, CRDS Ltd. have undertaken a programme of archaeological excavations for part of the proposed N6 Kinnegad to Kilbeggan Dual Carriageway. In total 64 archaeological sites were identified during centreline testing as part of the Advance Archaeological Investigation, Contract 2: Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan (conducted by CRDS Ltd. Under licence 04 E0579). This report refers to the excavation of a site located in Demesne or Mearsparkfarm townland in the parish of Kilbeggan and barony of Moycashel, Co. Westmeath. Within the road scheme it is located between chainages 30240 - 30320 on the main N6 centreline south of Kilbeggan. The programme of excavations was undertaken between the 18th October 2004 and 21st January 2005 as part of Ministerial Direction A1 (Site Identification A001-013 - registration E2792). The following report contains the preliminary stratigraphic results of the excavations. Demesne or Mearsparkfarm 2 represents a rare survival of prehistoric land enclosure with an associated structure and related activity covering an area of approximately 2500m2. It dates to the Final Neolithic and Early to Middle Bronze Age periods and a crouched inhumation burial uncovered in the same area is also from the Middle Bronze Age.