Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise in a fairly level landscape. Archaeological testing (07E0622) of an extensive area covering about 23 acres (c. 9 ha) NE of the R150 Bettystown to Donacarney road identified an area of intensive activity (Duffy 2010) where a number of linear features occurred (L up to 12m). They run either NE-SW or NW-SE, although some spreads of grey silty clays with shell, animal bone and charcoal inclusions that could be quite deep (1m) were also noted as well as drains. The burial of an adult male aged c. 25-35 in a supine position oriented W-E but mixed with the disarticulated bones of a female aged 17-25 were recovered at the E edge of this area. It produced a calibrated C14 date of AD 575-670. More possible grave-cuts were noted and it may be at the edge of an early medieval burial ground. Three sculls were recovered c. 60m to the WSW of the male burial. (Rathbone, S. and O’Reilly 2008; Rathbone 2010)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 19 July, 2018

References

Duffy, C. 2010 Donacarney Great /Betaghstown: Testing. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 348-51, No. 1301. Dublin, Wordwell

Rathbone, S. 2010 Donacarney Great: Early medieval burial-ground. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 351, No. 1303. Dublin, Wordwell

Rathbone, S. and O'Reilly, E. 2008 Archaeological excavation, Donacarney Great / Bettystown (Phase 2). Licence No. 07E0622. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services