Flat cemetery in Berkeley

Located on a slight N-facing slope. Centre-line testing (E4067) in advance of the N25 New Ross by-pass identified an anomaly that was set aside for resolution as Berkeley 3 (Doyle et al 2010, 44). When it was excavated (E4122) it proved to be an unenclosed flat cemetery consisting of 25 possible token cremation pit-burials located in a concentrated area (dims c. 10m x c. 10m), with some post-holes and stake-holes. The burials were in small pits (diam. c. 0.35-0.7m; D c. 0.2m) and three phases of activity are identified. Three of the pits, together with some stake-holes and post-holes, can be associated with the N terminal of a ditch (Wth 0.65m; D 0.2m; visible L 4m NW-SE). Phase 2 was identified as a kidney-shaped layer of introduced red-brown silty clay (dims 16m E-W; 9m N-S; max. T 0.15m), which overly the earlier features and was cut by the remaining features of phase 3, which consisted of 17 possible burials and a post-hole. Some features outside the introduced layer, including five possible cremation burials, could belong to any phase (Hackett 2010, 7-13; Hackett 2013). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 September, 2013

A Neolithic flat cemetery; its significance lies in providing insights into early burial practices and settlement patterns in the region.