Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the western brow of an E-W limestone ridge in undulating grassland and overlooking an area c. 350m to the NW containing monuments dating to early medieval period (GA097-068----; GA097-068001-; GA097-068002-; GA097-068003-; GA097-068004-). The monument was represented on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map as a circular enclosure (diam. c. 35m) and had subsequently been levelelld: it was not represented on the later map editions. It was excavated between September 2005 and January 2006 on behalf of Galway County Council in advance of the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe road scheme (Wilkins and Lalone 2008, 27; license number E2046). Approximately two-thirds of the monument was excavated and it was found to be a multi-period enclosure and burial ground. The enclosure and associated features were divided into three phases: an early sequence of ditches and discrete cut features possibly of prehistoric date (phase 1), the main enclosure and associated burial ground (phase 2) and a phase of linear cultivation features outside the enclosure (phase 3). The main phase of activity (phase 2) was evidenced by the discovery of a substantial U-shaped fosse, 1.5m deep, and the remnants of an internal bank of an enclosure dating to the early medieval period. Within the E half of this enclosure was a burial ground (GA097-066001-) containing 132 predominantly supine east-west burials. The substantial animal bone assemblage recovered suggested that the enclosure served as a settlement for a considerable period.
The burial ground was in use for over 700 years and four sub-phases were identified. The first phase dated to the 7th century and comprised 37 individuals predominantly women and children who accounted for some 70% of the internments. These burials were contemporary with the construction of the enclosure. The second phase dated from the mid-9th to the 11th century and contained 75 individuals: 93% of these were non-adult. This burial activity related to the principal use of the enclosure. Beyond this it was difficult to distinguish differentiation in the burial arrangement and the third phase is represented by 18 burials and non-adults accounted for 78% of these. Only two individuals were attributed to the final phase, dated to the 15th century, which suggested that the site was in the process of been abandoned. As the spatial segregation of children was identified in the early phases of the site the distribution appears to represent the separation of non-adults within a normal cemetery population rather than being a distinct children’s burial ground or cillín, a monument type that is common in the later and post-medieval periods, especially in the west of Ireland. (Wilkins and Lalonde 2008)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 24 June 2013

References

Wilkins, B. and Lalonde, S. 2008 An early medieval settlement/cemetery at Carrowkeel, Co. Galway. Journal of Irish Archaeology 17, 5783.