Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

On a terrace on the NE side of the summit of Bailey Mór mound (MA023-014003-).
Françoise Henry uncovered this burial in 1946 while excavating an area to N of two houses (MA023-014007; MA023-014008-). The excavation results were not published, but Greene (2009, 149-150), has extracted details about the burial from Henry’s archive of papers. It was an extended inhumation with arms at the sides; the grave was dug into an occupation layer of grey sand, which included sherds of souterrain ware and overlay an area of cobbling. A number of stones appeared to have been deliberately position on the body: ‘there was a black pebble on the left shoulder, a stone at the neck, some 'very small coloured stones' in the upper chest area, a round flat stone on the abdominal region and a little red pebble and blackish stone on the shins. The position of the body and the apparent shallowness of the grave suggest that it was not in a coffin, but may have been wrapped in a shroud.’ (ibid. 150).

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 26 July 2023

References:

Greene, S. 2009 Settlement, identity and change on the Atlantic Island of North-West Co. Mayo c. AD400-1100 (2 vols.) Unpublished PhD thesis submitted to University College Dublin.