Barrow - ditch barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Excavated by Doody (1987, 10-21; 1988, 176-80) between April and May 1982. Circular area (diam. 11m) enclosed by a shallow fosse (Wth 1m; D 0.65m) (Doody 1988, 176). Charcoal or charred wood remains were recovered from portion of the fosse and a C14 date of 1535 +/- 40 BC was obtained from one of the pieces (ibid.). The only other finds in the fosse were two fragmentary sherds of coarse pottery and some waste flint flakes (ibid.). In the centre of the ring-ditch there is a cist (TS077-046003-) which contains an urn with the cremated remains of five individuals. Surrounding this cist, and within the confines of the ring-ditch, there was the remains of a circular timber structure (TS077-046010-), interpreted by the excavator as a mortuary structure (ibid.). Within the ditch barrow there were three pits, varying in size (Wth 0.75m, D 0.29m; Wth 2.05m x 0.35-0.9m, D 0.12-0.16m; Wth 1.25m, D 0.25m), the first contained a small amount of burnt bone and charcoal and the second charcoal enriched soil with stones (Doody 1987, 13). A sample from the second pit provided a radiocarbon date of 860 +/- 90 bc (ibid.). If all three pits are contemporary they may be associated with the Late Bronze Age settlement at Ballyveelish (TS077-046002-) (ibid.).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Doody, M.G. 1987 Early Bronze Age burials, Ballyveelish 3, Co. Tipperary. In R.M. Cleary et al. (eds), Excavations on the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline (1981-2), 10-21. University College, Cork.

Doody, M. 1988 An Early Bronze Age burial at Ballyveelish, Co. Tipperary. Tipperary Historical Journal, 176-80.