Cist

The National Monuments Service's description

In a tillage field. Discovered in 1946 during tillage operations. A polygonal cist (L 0.59m at the longest side; Wth 0.51m; int. D 0.46m) comprising a double row of shale slabs set on edge and inclining inwards towards the top (Wth beneath the capstone 0.25m) and flanked externally at the base by a series of smaller packing-stones (H c. 0.16m). The cist was paved with a single polygonal slab (Wth 0.5m; L 0.58m; T 0.08m) resting on firm yellow clay. The capstone (at ground level) (L 0.91m; Wth 0.79m; T 0.26m) did not rest directly on the side-stones but on a number of smaller stones placed on the side-stones. The grave contained a centrally placed collared urn that had been inverted over a deposit of cremated bone. The human remains represented at least one adult. Radiocarbon dating on the cremation yielded a calibrated date of 2132-1889 BC. (Cahill and Sikora 2011, vol. 2, 244-6)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 13 February 2013

References

O'Kelly, O. 1969 (Reissue 1985) The place-names of County Kilkenny. Kilkenny.

Waddell, J. 1970 Irish Bronze Age cists, a survey. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 100, 91-139.

Cahill, M. and Sikora, M. (eds) 2011 Breaking ground, finding graves - reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006, 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd. in association with the National Museum of Ireland.