Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

'These features were uncovered during the monitoring of topsoil- stripping in of the new N21 route between Castleisland and Tralee. Subsequent excavation revealed five subcircular features, the central one a cremation burial. To the north a stony, amorphous deposit was also excavated. Six metres to the south of the cremation a large cremation pit (1.9m in diameter, 0.4m deep) was exposed. The interior of the pit had been intensely burned, the heat penetrating the boulder clay for up to 0.1m. Two channels, also intensely baked and set in cruciform arrangement, were cut into the base of the pit. A linear, shaped flue extended for 2m beyond the western edge of the pit. Two metres to the south, two truncated post-holes were also excavated. The baking of the boulder clay in the pit suggests that the heat within it reached high temperatures in order to oxidize it, yet none of the burnt material survived. The cremation, in contrast, showed intensive burning, although the boulder clay beneath it was not burnt. The proximity of the cremation to the pit suggests that the pit may have contained the cremation pyre, the elaborate flues providing the ventilation necessary for high temperatures. Prehistoric dates are anticipated for the features identified. The small pit has been interpreted as a cremation burial and returned a calibrated σ2 radiocarbon date of 1440-1140BC. The bone fragments were small but some, particularly long bone fragments, appeared to be human. Collins & Lynch interpreted the deposit as a "token" burial suggesting that either a small quantity of the total remains may have been selected for deposition or that only parts of the corpse were cremated. The larger pit with the unusual cruciform flue returned a calibrated σ2 radiocarbon date from the base of the pit at 780-380 BC.'

Description from ‘The Prehistoric Settlement of the Lee Valley, Tralee, Co. Kerry; A Landscape Perspective’ by Michael Connolly. PhD Thesis UCC 2008

Date of upload: 10 July 2012