Children's burial ground in Gneevebeg

Multiperiod site consisting of a Bronze Age burial (WM032-121-----) with medieval burial ground (diam. c. 48m) reused possibly as a children's bruail ground and two corn-drying kilns (WM032-123/124----) partially excavated in 2002 by Angela Wallace, on behalf of Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd, under licence No. 02E0479. The results of this excavation were summarised as follows; 'This site was exposed during construction of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West project, c. 11km east-north-east of Moate. It was detected by archaeologists monitoring topsoil removal; fragments of burnt and unburnt human and animal bone were noted extending across a wide area. The site is in a low-lying landscape of undulating hills, on the plateau of a low hill rising to the 100ft contour; there was a laneway to the east curving around the site. A ringfort [WM032-068----] is clearly visible 150m to the north. The site extended for a length of c. 70m east–west and across the entire width of the pipeline corridor (15–18m north–south); the remainder extended beyond the pipeline corridor and was not excavated. Most of the thin peaty topsoil had been removed before excavation; it overlay a rocky subsoil and boulder clay with boulder drift left by fluvio-glacial deposition. Several phases of activity were identified. The earliest was represented by the remains of a badly disturbed crouched inhumation [WM032-121----] associated with sherds of a decorated vase. This vessel was identified by A.L. Brindley as being of the Early Bronze Age vase tradition, between c. 2100 and c. 1900 cal. BC. An enclosing ditch with an internal diameter of c. 48m was exposed encircling the plateau of the hill; an entranceway with three associated post-holes was detected on the eastern side. Large quantities of animal bone were recovered from the upper fills of the ditch, but there were no finds. The ditch in the south-west part of the site was cut through by a shallow gully feature. There were two small keyhole-shaped corn-drying kilns within the enclosed area. A small pit, F43, associated with a kiln, F41, yielded burnt animal bone, a metal strap-end, an iron knife and a possible candle-/rushlight-holder. Kiln F128 was cut into a deposit that was interpreted as upcast from the enclosing ditch. An infant burial (no. 120) was later inserted in the flue of this kiln. In total 135 burials were found on the site. The skeletal remains were in widely differing states of preservation. An exceptionally large number of infants and juveniles were represented: there were c. 36 juveniles, 52 infants and 44 adults. Most of the burials probably represent a continuous phase of use, as there was only a single layer of burials across the site, with the exception of a small group of infant and juvenile remains in Areas II and III that overlay earlier burials. Most of the burials were in shallow, ill-defined graves and were oriented roughly east–west. There were some burials in deep, clearly defined graves and occasional graves that were partially lined. The burials on the site have been divided into three rough types. Type I represents those burials that had clearly defined cuts or shallow cuts into the boulder clay; Type II refers to those that were within the subsoil layer at a slightly higher level; and Type III is a distinct group of mostly badly degraded infant and juvenile remains found within a mixed deposit, F73, in the centre of the site. Types I and II are probably contemporaneous, as most of the burials respected the limits of the other graves. Type III appears to represent later use of the site as a possible cillín, or children’s burial-ground. The multi-phase use of the Gneevebeg site makes it difficult to classify as a site type belonging to a particular period of time. The closest parallels for the site are found in the excavated Early Christian and medieval cemetery enclosures. Many of these sites also have evidence of different phases of use and a variety functions. Parallels can be found in sites such as Kilpatrick, Co. Westmeath, where corn-drying kilns and a bullaun stone were also found in a cemetery context (Swan 1976), and in Killederdadrum [TN027-100001-], Co. Tipperary, which also had a possible corn-drying kiln and some finds similar to those at Gneevebeg in a cemetery context (Manning 1984)' (www.excavations.ie 2002:1864). References Conway, M. 1999 Director’s first findings from excavations in Cabinteely. Transactions (Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd) Vol. 1. Dublin. Daniell, C. 1977 Death and burial in medieval England: 1066–1550. London. Manning, C. 1984 The excavation of the Early Christian enclosure of Killederdadrum in Lackenavorna, Co. Tipperary. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 84C, 237–68. Swan, D.L. 1976 Excavations at Kilpatrick churchyard, Killucan, Co. Westmeath, July– August 1973 and 1975. Ríocht na Midhe 6 (2), 89–96. See attached images courtesy of Angela Wallace, on behalf of Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 29 March 2023