Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

On a S facing slope in tillage. Because a human skeleton was uncovered in 1958 in the course of agricultural work (Healy 1982 SMR file), the site was archaeologically excavated in advance of the proposed construction of the Kilcullen Link Motorway Scheme immediately to the W (Keeley 1980, 180-201). A cemetery of 16 inhumation burials was found; 12 articulated, three partially represented and one identified by skull fragments. Two of the burials were of children. Both male and female adults were represented. All the burials were deposited in simple shallow pits cut directly into the sand at depths of between 0.3m and 0.6m below the surface. While most of the burials had an E-W orientation, with the head at W, some examples were orientated more towards NE-SW. In some examples an outline of stones surrounded the deposits and occasionally a thin layer of charcoal lay between the skeleton and the stone surround. A hearth were discovered N of the burials: an oval area (L 0.75m; Wth 0.6m) with two layers of fill; a basal layer of gravel and ash, and an upper layer of charcoal-rich soil. A small penannular enclosure (KD023-073----) was discovered c. 65m to the SE.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 30 May 2012