Cist

The National Monuments Service's description

On a low ridge overlooking a broad, flat valley to the E and SE. Elsewhere views were obscured by higher ground. Cist discovered during ploughing in 1969. It was said to contain a complete vase. The tripartite vase, although by then broken, was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland in 1971. The cist was re-sealed in 1969. The capstone was relocated in 1978 and the monument investigated by Kelly on behalf of the National Museum that same year. Subrectangular short cist (dims. 0.75m NW-SE; 0.4m NE-SW; D 0.46m) defined principally by four slabs set on edge. In addition single thin slabs had been placed upon the top of both the NW and NE sides to raise their heights and so allow the capstone to rest on all four sides. The floor was paved with a single slab. The large capstone extended beyond its SE end. The interior of the cist was empty. The outine of portion of the pit dug to house the cist was partially identifiable (dim. 1.38.) in the upper levels of the section. It is thought that the vase was originally positioned at the centre of the cist (Cahill and Sikora 2011, Vol. 1, 159-161).

Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan

Date of upload: 26 February 2013

References

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.