Flat cemetery

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 Knockrathkyle 1 (Hardy et al. 2010, 11-3). It is situated on the E side of a slight col with slightly higher ground c. 700m to the W and a low hill c. 600m to the E. It was excavated (E4174) by C. Hardy when two ring-ditches, 13 cremation pits, and two possible structures came to light. An earlier Beaker phase may be represented and a resistivity survey identified at least two ring-ditches outside the road-take and the excavated area.

The thirteen cremation pits were either small and shallow (dims 0.3-0.8m; D 0.1-0.2m) or more steep-sided and deeper (diam. 0.55-0.9m; D 0.23-0.4m), but all contained charcoal and cremated bone. Ten of them formed a line (L 5.5m N-S) c. 7m E of the ring-ditch (WX026-089002-) and c. 10m NW of the structure (WX026-089004-). (Hardy 2012, 10-11; 2013)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 29 November, 2013

References

Hardy, C. 2013 Knockrathkyle 1. Ring-ditches, cremation pits, stake-holes, boundary ditches. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2010: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 249-50, No. 778. Dublin. Wordwell.

Hardy, C. 2012 M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme, Co. Wexford, E4174, Knockrathkyle 1. 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 Unpublished report, TVAS (Ireland).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 Unpublished.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).