Cremation pit

The National Monuments Service's description

Identified in centre-line testing (E4110) in advance of the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road scheme and set aside for resolution as Myaugh 3 (Hardy et al. 2010, 68). It is located on a slight SE-NW spur with a SE-NW section of a small NE-SW stream c. 230m to the NE. When completely excavated (E4230) by M. McNamara it proved to be the bottom of a large rectangular pit (dims 3.7m NW-SE; 2.2m NE-W; D 0.2m) with a fire-reddened base and four charcoal-bearing fills, and it might be interpreted as a cremation-pit. A smaller pit (diam. 0.9m; D 0.25m) was located 1m S, which may have held a marker-post. A worked flint, and burnt bone were recovered from the fill of the larger feature, and a grinding stone was found in the topsoil. (Hardy 2012; McNamara 2013)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 26 November, 2013

References

McNamara, M. 2013 Myaugh 3. Two pits and modern drains. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2010: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 257, No. 805. Dublin. Wordwell.

Hardy, C. 2012 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford. E4230, Myaugh 3. Stage (III) Post-excavation assessment report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished report, TVAS (Ireland).

Hardy, C., Nugent, L., Homan Reid, R; O'Liathain, N; Whitty, Y.; and Coleman, C. 2010 N11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. Archaeological Consultancy Services, Stage (1)a. E4110. Testing report for Wexford County Council. Unpublished. TVAS (Ireland).