Flat cemetery

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a low plateau overlooking marshy ground and Moyne stream to the S. Monitoring of topsoil removal in 1997 uncovered a large cluster of small pits belonging to a flat cremation cemetery of prehistoric date. Excavation revealed a total of 70 pits within an area measuring 11m E-W x 9m N-S with no visible trace of an enclosing ditch or boundary. Most of the pits were circular in plan and measured between 0.75m and 0.13m in diameter and in depth from 0.37m to 0.5m. 28 individual burials were recorded; 26 pits were sealed or partly sealed by a capping of local booulder clay. Of these 20 produced cremated bone with a further 8 also containing bone but with no capping. 29 pits or post-holes had no bone but contained a charcoal rich silty fill while a further 13 pits were unexcavated. Coarseware pottery fragments of possible Bronze Age appearance were present in the fill of one of the cremation pits (Stevens 1998, Killoran 10, 174-5).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008