Cist

The National Monuments Service's description

At the W edge of a low E-W ridge with views to the N, E and S. This monument was investigated by O Floinn and Cherry in 1989 on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. Trapezoidal-shaped short cist (dims. 0.94m N-S; 0.65m E-W; D 0.45m) defined principally by four flat edge set-stones. In addition two large slabs were placed across the short ends overlapping the end stones and it was upon these that the capstone was placed. The floor was paved with a single large slab and a number of smaller ones. The large capstone (dims. 1.7m x 1.1m; T .025m) lay just 0.15m beneath ground level. The large pit (dims. c.2.3m x 1.5m) dug to house the cist was oval in shape. The cist contained the crouched inhumation of an adult (1989:46) whose body had been laid on its left side with the head facing E. In the NE corner was a complete bipartite bowl (1989:45). A sample of bone from this cist yielded a date of 2205-1776 BC. This monument was located c.3m SW of a second cist (DG079-043001-) which had been excavated in 1984 (Cahill and Sikora 2011, Vol. 1, 153-158).

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.