Barrow - ditch barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the flat floodplains of a small river located to the W of the site in undulating countryside with a nearby church and graveyard (TN006-003003) to the NW. An archaeological site consisting of a curvilinear V-shaped ditch was identified by Ken Hanley during the stripping of topsoil prior to development work being carried out behind the Riverrun House at Terryglass village in 1998 (Hanley 2000, 202). The site was partially excavated by Paul Stevens in November of 1998 and revealed a V-shaped ditch (Wth 2.8m; D 0.75m) from NE through S to SW which probably enclosed an area approximately 40m in diameter (Stevens 2000, 202). The fill of the excavated ditch contained a layer of charcoal with one tiny fragment of cremated bone. A second ditch feature abutting the larger ditch at E was also uncovered. The excavator suggested that it was possibly contemporary with the larger ditch although this could not be fully established without further excavation. The charcoal layer with cremated bone suggests that this was the site of a funerary monument measuring approximately 40m in diameter (ibid., 202).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008

References

Hanley, K. 2000 Riverrun House, Cornamult, Terryglass: ditch features of unknown age. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1998: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 202. Bray. Wordwell.