Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Pre-development excavations at 52-57 Great George's Street South/56-67 Stephen Street Lower uncovered five young Viking male burials. One was contained in a hearth, aligned with his head to the NW. The skeleton had remains of an iron object on his chest. A second burial lay to the east in a shallow gravealigned with is head to the north-east. He was buried with a well preserved iron shield boss on his chest and a tanged knife dagger. Two additional young male skeletons were located close to the NE boundary. A fifth skeleton was found lying in a gully which contained a large amount of butchered animal bone. He was buried with his hands over his face. A very fine decorated bone comb was positioned on the right side of his chest. These are thought to be male warriors associated with the fortress or Longphort established by the Vikings in AD841. By the late 12th century the area was under cultivation (Simpson L, 2006, 133 in Excavations 2003).