Pit-burial

The National Monuments Service's description

This record is for a pit-burial, excavated in 2002 as part of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West project (Licence no. 02E1153). Situated on a SE-facing slope near a hilltop with good views in all directions except NW. A single bowl-shaped cremation pit was excavated (diam. 0.34m; D 0.19m). The pit fill was a grey/brown fine silt with very occasional small stone inclusions (diam. typically 0.05m). Cremated bone was present as a discrete deposit near the base of the pit. Some charcoal flecking was also recorded. The excavated feature most probably represents a human burial of perhaps Bronze Age date. The discrete placement of the cremated bone suggests that it may have been held in a small container such as a bag. Some effort had then seemingly been made to mask the burial with old subsoil. (Hull 2004, 52, no. 198)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 10 October 2016

References

Hull, G. 2004 Racorcraun (BGE 3/10/5). In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland,52, No. 198. Bray. Wordwell.