Flat cemetery

The National Monuments Service's description

In an elevated position on an E-facing slope in pasture. Excavated in 2006 in advance of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Road Scheme (Excavation licence no. E2514). A multi-period flat cemetery comprising a central upright vessel containing the cremated remains of an adult with 16 additional pits and some charcoal spreads all containing cremated bone. Sixty-two other pits contained charcoal-rich fills but not cremated bone. One had oxidation along the base. Cremated bone from one of the cremation deposits returned an Early Neolithic date (4049 – 3971 Cal BC, UBA 10485), while a later Neolithic date (3248 – 3099 Cal BC, UBA 10481) was returned from a similar pit. A series of Middle Bronze Age dates were also returned from cremated bone deposits from several other cremation pits, including that contained with the vessel (1458 – 1386 Cal BC, UBA 10486). (Monteith 2009, no. 1009, 257; Monteith 2010)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 1 October 2013

References

Monteith, J. 2009 Coolmore. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2006: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 257, no. 1009. Bray. Wordwell.

Monteith, J. 2010 N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme: Phase 2 – Waterford to Knocktopher. Archaeological Resolution Dunkitt to Sheepstown, Co. Kilkenny. Final Report Ministerial Direction: A032/000 Registration Number: E2514 Site Name: AR045, Coolmore Townland Co. Kilkenny. Unpublished excavation report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.