Burial ground in Kildare

In September 2014, previously unrecorded burials were discovered during site works in advance of a development on Hospital St., Kildare town. The discovery was reported to the relevant authorities and an archaeological investigation of the area occurred (pers. comm. Mr. Rob O’Hara, Archer Heritage Planning Ltd.). Thirty six burials were discovered within an area measuring c. 30m x c. 20m on a SW-facing hill-slope. Twenty one were relatively complete burials; eight were partially complete burials and seven were ex-situ disarticulated spreads of bone perhaps from multiple sources and which appeared to be located on the path of furrows running NW-SE across the site. Some may have been reburied bone. Most in-situ bone was fragmented or truncated to some degree. Disarticulated bone was collected from topsoil during stripping and clean-up. There were distinct clusters of burials some with different orientation perhaps indicating different groups of burials over a number of generations. The burials were almost exclusively adult, with one older juvenile and other potential juveniles. No neonates were noted. The majority were supine extended burials with different placement of hands and arms. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 03 October 2014