Burial in Graney East

Monitoring was undertaken at a quarry site at Graney East, Castledermot, Co. Kildare, in February and July 1999 (Licence No. 99E0052). The site is c. 3.7km to the south-west of Castledermot. The immediate area surrounding the development is rich in archaeological sites, with a 17th-century house (KD040-013----) to the north-west, a cross site (KD040-044----) to the immediate north and a holy well site (KD040-014----) immediately to the west. In the western third of the field in which the proposed quarry lies is the site of a nunnery (KD040-015----) that was founded c. 1200 for nuns of the order of Arrouaise and was recognised as an abbey by 1476. The abbey was suppressed in 1539. The area is densely covered with low earthworks and fragments of walls. It is possible to distinguish a driveway and small fields to the east of the driveway, as illustrated on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map. Most of the earthworks are concentrated to the west of this driveway. The graveyard is not recognisable, and a small quarry had been excavated, at some unknown time in the past, near the western boundary. To the east of the earthworks is a long, linear earthwork-like feature. It is possible that this feature represents the remains of the eastern boundary of a garden depicted on the 1837 map. However, without excavation it is difficult to determine the relationship between this feature and the nunnery. In addition, a mill-race, serving a mill in Graney West td, is illustrated on the 1837 map. A section of this mill-race runs through part of the field in which the development lies and, though now dry, is relatively intact. The remains of a sluice were found at the junction formed by the river and mill-race. The mill-race was constructed and lined with stones and ran from its junction with the Graney River in a general north-westerly direction towards a mill in Graney West td. The present ruins (KD040-043----) include a date stone of 1799, but the main standing building, which is partly demolished, includes the lower ten or so courses of a previous structure from which, projecting from the north side, the foundation courses of an even earlier building are visible. The existence of such an earlier mill is mentioned in the Civil Survey of 1654-6. An assessment of the project, prepared by the writer, suggested the inclusion of appropriate buffers along the line of the mill-race, as well as between the nunnery and the edge of the development area. These buffer areas were subsequently agreed with both the NMHPS and Kildare County Council and were conditions of the grant of planning. Monitoring of soil-stripping in an area of c. 2 acres undertaken in February 1999 revealed no features or deposits of archaeological interest; a total of ten sherds of medieval/post-medieval pottery were recovered. Additional topsoil-stripping was undertaken in another c. 2-acre area of the site in July 1999, during which a single skeleton was uncovered (Licence No. 99E0052 ext.). Following discussions with both the NMHPS and the NMI, it was decided initially to undertake testing in the general area surrounding the skeleton in order to determine whether it was part of a graveyard. The results of this were negative, and it was agreed that the skeleton should be excavated and removed. The skeleton was orientated east-west, with the skull to the west. It lay in an extended position with the legs flexed. The skull was damaged, and it was not possible to ascertain how it lay. The right arm was extended, and the left arm was positioned across the ribcage. The legs were flexed towards the south, and the right leg lay over the left. An examination of the skeleton (Clare Mullins, pers. comm.) indicated that it was a female, aged late 20s/early 30s. The skeleton lay in and on a sandy gravel material, and it was not possible to determine a grave-cut. The skeleton lay 834mm (101.418m OD) below the present ground surface. Five additional sherds of medieval/post-medieval pottery were recovered during this phase of monitoring, four from the topsoil and one from the material surrounding the skeleton (www.excavations.ie). Monitoring of topsoil-stripping in relation to a small quarry development commenced in 1999, during which a female skeleton was uncovered and excavated (Excavations 1999, 127-8). Additional monitoring was undertaken in mid-April 2000. During the process of topsoil-stripping, an additional human skeleton (Sk. 2) was dislodged from an in situ position when a dumper truck caused a portion of a baulk to collapse while entering the site from an 'unstripped' area. This caused damage and disturbance to most of the skeleton, with only the lower legs and feet remaining in situ. Faint traces of a grave-cut were discernible, indicating the likelihood that the individual lay in an extended position with a general east-north-east/west-south-west orientation. Analysis of this individual indicated that it was the remains of a middle-aged adult female (Clare Mullins, pers. comm.). Additional skeletons were uncovered in a group located c. 25m north-north-east of Sk. 2. Consequently, the remaining unstripped area of the quarry was subjected to a programme of archaeological testing in mid-late August. The extent of the burial area was revealed to be 11.8m north-south x 9.6m, with a minimum depth of 0.4m from the existing surface. This group of burials lies in a natural sand-filled depression in the underlying gravel, at the highest point of the site. The burials appear to be generally orientated east-west, and there is some evidence for disturbance disarticulation, probably the result of the site being in use over a period of time rather than representing a single episode of burial. In addition, there was some evidence for stratification. After discussions with NMHPS, an appropriate buffer zone and reinstatement programme were agreed and implemented. In addition, an area to the south-south-east was subsequently topsoil-stripped, during which no additional material of archaeological interest was uncovered (www.excavations.ie).