Burial

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on elevated ground. Two slab-lined graves (See also (MA038-213001-/MA047-051001-) were uncovered in January 1939 in a sand pit during a road building scheme in Dervin, Laherdaun (Unpublished NMI Topographical Files). The graves were uncovered at a depth of c. 0.4m below the surface, and were set c. 1.5m apart. They were rectangular in form, aligned E-W, with sides constructed of upright slabs, and roofed with slabs. The two graves were of similar size (L c. 1.8m; Wth 0.6m).
This grave, the more northerly of the two, was paved with stone slabs, lying on which were human bones, including a skull, lower jaw bone, leg and arm bones. No grave goods were found. The local Garda Síochána ordered the graves to be reburied and work to cease in the sand pit, and subsequently sent a report to the National Museum. The exact location of the graves was not recorded. Raftery (1941) included the burial in his record of Early Iron Age cist burials.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 21 August 2019

References

Raftery, J. 1941 Long stone cists of the Early Iron Age. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 46C, 299-315.