Cremated remains

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture 155m E of the townland boundary with Rathcannon and 45m N of a stream. Not depicted on OSi historic mapping. Identified as features (BGE 3/76/8) in 2002 by Ken Wiggins (Licence 02E0119) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West (Wiggins 2004). Excavated in 2002 by Kate Taylor under licence No. 02E0504 the results of which were summarised as follows; ‘A probable cremation burial, a pit and a shallow scoop were excavated within a 20m stretch of the pipeline easement. The cremation burial-pit was subcircular, 0.34m in diameter, and 0.13m deep, with a bowl-shaped profile. The fill was a mid-brown, humic, silty clay with a moderate amount of charcoal inclusions, occasional crumbs of burnt clay and occasional small fragments of burnt bone. At this stage it is not known whether this bone is human, as no diagnostic pieces were visible during excavation. Given the nature of the material, particularly the funerary element, the features are likely to be prehistoric in origin, possibly Bronze Age (Taylor 2004, 296-7; Grogan 2007, 237). Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on aerial images.

See attached location map.

Compiled by: Martin Fitzpatrick

Date of upload: 18 May 2021

References

Taylor, K. 2004 Ballincurra (BGE 3/76/8-9); Cremation burial and pits. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002: Summary Accounts of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland, 296-7, No. 1079. Wordwell, Bray.