Pit-burial

The National Monuments Service's description

Initially identified (in Area A) during archaeological test trenching in advance of a quarry development in 2003 (Excavation Licence No. 03E1336) (Ó Drisceoil 2006, 24-5). Full excavation took place in 2007 (Excavation Licence No. 07E0962). An oval pit (L 1.2m; Wth 0.83M; D 0.37m) which contained 66 fragments of unburnt human bone identified as that of a probable female adult. A sample of the bone produced a radiocarbon date of cal 1407-1133 BC. This pit was truncated by a second pit (L 0.68m; Wth 0.61m) which was sub-circular in plan and contained 63 fragments of human bone which have been attributed to an adult (probably the same adult as was in the former pit), a child and an infant. 260 sherds of Middle to Late Bronze Age pottery were also recovered from this pit. (Clark and Kozlowska 2009, 14). Found in close proximity to a series of pits, hearths, post-holes and stakeholes (CW016-120006-) and a possible Neolithic structure (CW016-120007-).

References:

Cagney L. 2010 Kilcarrig Multi-period industrial/occupation. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 22-3 (No. 108). Bray. Wordwell.

Clark L. and Kozlowska D. 2009 Kilcarrig Quarry Scheme. Final Report on Archaeological Investigations in the townland of Kilcarrig, Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow. Licence Number 07E0962. Headland Archaeology Ltd., Cork. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Ó Drisceoil C. 2006 Kilcarrig Testing. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2003: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 24-5 (No. 46). Bray. Wordwell.

Compiled by: Claire Breen

Date of upload: 19 January 2011