Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

Isolated infant burial excavated in 2002-2003 (02E1715) by Cóilín Ó Drisceoil beneath former rear yard and below ground level of cellar for late 18th-early 19th century houses and shops at 62-3 High Street, (NIAH 12000076 and 12000075) and 76 Kieran Street (NIAH 12000077), Kilkenny (Ó Drisceoil 2004, 276-7; 2005, 265-6; 2005, 43-61; 2012). Excavations on the site in 2002-2003 documented a series of attempts to reclaim land (KK 019-026----) in the flood-plain of the River Nore (Ó Drisceoil 2005, 50, 59-60). Once achieved, probably in the 13th century, the site was used as a rear-garden where activities such as iron smelting (KK019-026201-) and the burial of an infant occurred. The burial was represented by fragments of the infant's skull within a deposit of gravel reclamation make-up and it is possible it was a chance introduction rather than a formal burial.

Compiled by: Cóilín Ó Drisceoil

Date of upload: 4 November 2020

References

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2005 Archaeological excavations at the rear of No. 63 High Street (OK House), Kilkenny City, Old Kilkenny Review 57, 43-61.

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2004 63 High Street (rear of), Kilkenny 02E1715, in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, no. 1013, 276-7. Bray. Wordwell.

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2012 Archaeological Assessment of proposed alterations to 76 Kieran Street/61-2 High Street, Kilkenny City 12E0110, (Kilkenny Archaeology, unpublished report).

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2005 63 High Street (rear of), Kilkenny 02E1715, in I. Bennett (ed) Excavations 2003: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, no. 1012, 265-6. Bray, Wordwell.

Ó Drisceoil, C. 2012 63 High Street (rear of), Kilkenny. Licence no. 12E0110. Excavations.ie: database of Irish excavation reports (https://www.excavations.ie/report/2012/Kilkenny/0023413/; accessed 31 July 2020.