Cremation pit

The National Monuments Service's description

In reclaimed pasture, associated with linear earthworks (LI049-033001-), an earthwork (LI049-034----) and barrow (LI049-037----) lie 70m to the SW and 90m to the SE respectively. Not marked on OSi 6-inch maps. Cremation pit (site TR/2/18/1) excavated by Margaret Gowen in 1986 on the Bórd Gáis Éireann Curraleigh West-Limerick gas pipeline (Gowen 1988, 106). The isolated cremation pit was described as following; ‘The area was severely truncated owing to it position on the top of a small knoll which was flattened during the grading process. However, cremated bone recovered from the remaining fill and from the graded soil in the vicinity of the pit had been identified as human. The surviving position of the pit measured 25cm x 27cm x 5cm in depth. The fill was a smooth black slit with abundant charcoal and a high density of crushed cremated bone’ (Gowen 1988, 106). No surface remains visible on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 or on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached BGEP location map taken from Gowen 1988, 84.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 18 September 2021

References

Gowen, M. 1988 Three Irish gas pipelines: new archaeological evidence in Munster. Bray. Wordwell.