Burial ground in Farrankelly

Burial ground in area 2C was excavated in 2020 under licence 17E0292 by Muireann Ní Cheallacháin for IAC Archaeology during construction phase of residential development by Cairn Homes PLC. Cropmark of large enclosure visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 12/07/2013 which also shows the presence of two ring-ditches (WI013-128/129----) inside the enclosure which were also fully excavated. All of these features were excavated in Area 1A which also included the remains of a ploughed out burnt spread (WI013-131----), a flat cemetery (WI013-130----), a large enclosure ditch forming a plectrum-shaped enclosure, multiple token cremation burial pits, two ring-ditches (WI013-128/129---), and a large stone-lined kiln, as well as isolated pits, postholes and later agricultural features. Excavation was carried out in Area 1A following the identification of crop marks within the southwest corner of the proposed development a geophysical survey was carried out by Joanna Leigh in 2015 (Licence 15R0124). Detailed gradiometer survey in this area identified two clear circular ditch-type responses, correlating with the location of several curving crop marks, measuring c. 11.25m and 12.25m in diameter and several other responses of potential interest. The circular ditches appear to be contained within a larger ill-defined circular feature (possible enclosure). Following on from the geophysical survey, a programme of testing was undertaken in 2017 by Rob Lynch and Enda Lydon of IAC under licence no. 17E0292 (Lynch and Lydon 2017). Three areas of archaeology were identified in the testing assessment (Archaeological Areas 1–3). Monument consisted of a 'heavily disturbed burial ground measuring c. 12.4m x 6m and containing twelve burials and seven clusters of disarticulated human bone was identified in the northeast of the site within a localised area of sand within a geological ridge of gravel. This gravel ridge appears to have been chosen specifically for the location of the burials as no burials were identified outside of the gravel deposit. All the burials were oriented roughly SW-NE apart from Sk12. Although historic truncation though ploughing action had disturbed most of the grave cuts, they all appeared to be rounded rectangular in shape and very shallow. The grave of Sk9 was the most undisturbed grave with a depth of 0.2m recorded and a linear placement of large cobbles along the grave cut interpreted as a possible stone lining. The grave of Sk11 may also have had a stone lining as five medium-sized stones appeared to line the cut at the northeast end. The majority of grave fills consisted of moderately compact silty sand with common small stone and gravel inclusions, while the graves of Sk 6 and Sk 7 were filled with a looser sandy silt. The graves of Sk 10 and Sk 12 were filled with silty gravels. No grave cut could be determined for the sub-circular deposit of grave fill C227 surrounding Sk 4, which was similar in consistency to the other fills, or for C229 surrounding Sk 5 which comprised of more compact silty sand. All the graves contained fragmented human remains with graves C252, C255 and C257 containing more complete human skeletons. The graves were located across the sandy deposit C214 in loosely defined rows, with graves C255 and C257 (containing skeletons 10 and 11) abutting each other. Half of the burials contained no artefacts, but flint was recovered from the fills of four graves, while a metal loop was recovered from the gravefill of Sk 8. Significantly, a fragment of highly degraded antler tine was retrieved from the gravefill of Sk 6. The location of the antler near the skull suggests that it may have been deliberately placed. All of the graves were covered by plough soil C263 which extended across Area 2 and consisted of moderately loose gravelly silt with frequent stone inclusions and also contained disarticulated bone B15' (Ní Cheallacháin and Spencer 2020, 30). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 10 November 2020