Burial in Moone

Discovered during monitoring of topsoil-stripping in advance of construction of the N9 Moone–Timolin– Ballitore road, close to the summit of an extensive grass-covered sand and gravel deposit, and archaeologically excavated (Excavation Licence No. 00E0193: Ó Ríordáin 2000 (No. 506) in http://www.excavations.ie [Accessed 15 January 2013]). Within an immediate rectangular area (c. 10m N-S; c. 5m E-W) of a cist burial (KD036-051----) a further seven pit burials were uncovered. Recorded as features F2 to F7, they comprised the following: F2 was a much-eroded pit with some long bones and some human teeth. F3 held a crouched skeleton aligned N-S; elements of the skeleton were missing, including hand, feet and pelvis bones, and part of the skull. F4a was a small circular pit containing the remains of an infant; a marker stone was sited on the pit. F4b was a large oval pit that held the crouched skeleton of a female, orientated NW-SE; two boar tusks, four flints and a small fragment of metal were also found with the burial. F5 held a crouched skeleton aligned E-W, with the head to the E; it was accompanied by a bowl food vessel located close to the pelvis. One small pit, F6, containing a cremation and flint, lay close to the cist grave. F7 held a crouched skeleton aligned N-S, with the head to the north; a flint arrowhead lay on the E side of the skull, and a bowl food vessel, in a poor state of preservation, was found close to the feet. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 15 January 2013