Cist in Ballinvally

A subrectangular or wedge-shaped cist (dims 0.6m x 0.45m; D 0.4m) was uncovered during 1935 (Raftery 2011) and contained the cremated remains of an adult and a Vase Food Vessel (Waddell 1970, 126) that is regarded as an anomalous type (Ó Ríordáin and Waddell 1993, 284). The underside of the capstone (dims 1.25m x. 0.9m; T 0.1m) has a double concentric circle and three motifs of triple concentric circles. The design is lightly picked, and the stone is now in NMI (1935: 542). (MacWhite 1946, 72, 80; Shee 1972, 228-9; Shee Twohig 2001, 117-18; Shee Twohig et al. 2010, 21; Eogan 2011, 8-9, No. 15)   Archaeological testing (99E0328) by R. Meenan c. 150m to the SE recorded a single pit (dims 0.8m x 0.65m; D 0.15m) filled with a charcoal-enriched clay with stones (excavations.ie 1999:673).   The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 3 March 2017, 13 October 2025

A Neolithic cist tomb, dating to the Early to Middle Neolithic period (c. 4000–3000 BCE), associated with funerary practices involving cremation and the use of Vase Food Vessels, which are significant indicators of ritual deposition in Irish prehistoric burial contexts.