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And just like that...our time in the Boyne Valley is over for 2026!

Four years in, and this season has been one of our most surprising yet!

Our initial investigation into two monuments (the causewayed enclosure and potential post alignment) has grown from proving whether the archaeology here is what we thought it would be, to how people may have actually used these places.

Beyond what was built here and when, we’re starting to think about what came before, what followed, and what kept people returning to this particular spot across thousands of years. As it turns out, the same things that have always drawn people to a place – water, good soil, land worth farming – may have been the draw here, too!

Could some of the lithic fragments found throughout this season hint at activity predating our monuments – and if so, could this have been a place people returned to again and again for seasonal visits, tool-making or gathering?

Now, the real detective work begins, as our finds are sorted into categories and handed to specialists, whose reports will help us untangle how it all fits together…

The digging may be over, but this season’s research is just beginning!

Trench 14 = done!

Some celebration over in Trench 14, as the trench (and its ditch!) are complete!

Our final weekend of the season looms!

Ahead of our final weekend, where do things stand?

In Trench 10, more of the pit alignment is starting to emerge! While finds from this trench have been rather shy, the features are looking great – including a burnt pit, with vivid orange heat-affected clay and charcoal, showing evidence of intense burning. This is something we haven’t seen in this monument before!

The big pit at the western end of the alignment is also progressing well, and we’re getting some finds! Ollie has found a burnt worked flint blade from one of the post pipes, and Aidan has found what could be a pottery polishing stone.

Meanwhile, Cian is continuing some experimental geophysics, comparing surveys taken before, during and after excavation to better understand how the topsoil affects the archaeological signal. Watch this space for results!

Trench 12 is our longest trench on site, and stretches down towards the spring. Although the topsoil here has been much deeper than expected, we’ve started to uncover what looks like a possible posthole, with more archaeology potentially emerging nearby. This has been our most active trench for finds, including post-medieval pottery and plenty of prehistoric worked flint.

In Trench 13, we’ve uncovered what looks to be medieval archaeology just below the topsoil! Possible stone walls are beginning to appear, with darker, charcoal-rich deposits starting to emerge below the stones. Could earlier archaeology be waiting underneath?

The large ditch we’re hoping for in Trench 14 is biding its time – but despite some seriously stony conditions, we’ve already recovered worked and burnt flint, along with a handful of post-medieval finds. Definitely one to watch!

The plot thickens in Trench 10!

A complex series of cuts are emerging from one of the larger postholes in Trench 10 at the top of the hill. The sheer number of postholes here raises an exciting question – could this mark the opening or entrance to a possible structure? Watch this space!

Ditch (yes) please!

In our new Trench 14, we’re exploring a ditch terminus (the end point of a ditch) – to see if it could be a rich spot for ritual deposits, or rubbish. Could the ditch have more to give than we expected? We’ve reached the natural bedrock, so we’re now in the right place for it to appear. It’s looking promising!