Pit-burial

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a rise in the middle of a plateau bounded by the Goulaun River on one side and by the steep rise of Letterkeen Hill on the other, in an area of mountainous and boggy terrain.
This pit-burial was excavated (E000015) in 1950 by Ó 'Ríordáin and Mac Dermott (1950-51, 93). It consisted of a small, oval pit partly covered by a stone, and was firmly packed with cremated bone of an adult human, red burnt clay and charcoal. It was dated to the Bronze Age. It was located immediately above the capstone of a cist (MA046-004004-), and a possible burial cairn (MA046-004001-), two other cists (MA046-004002-; MA046-004003-) and another pit burial (MA046-004006-) were found in close proximity. At a later period, these features were overlain by a rath (MA046-004007-).

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 9 April 2019

References

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. and Mac Dermott, M. 1950-1 The excavation of a ringfort at Letterkeen, Co. Mayo. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 54, 89-119