- DOON, CO. MEATH, Meath

Introduction
In late March 1947 a short cist containing a cremation and a bowl was discovered during ploughing on a farm at Doon, near Bailieborough, Co. Cavan. The cist was discovered at a depth of 0.15m when the plough struck the capstone, which was then lifted to reveal the grave underneath. The site was visited by the well-known local antiquarian and schoolmaster Mr Thomas Barron, who sent a full report and measured drawings to the NMI. The site was subsequently visited by Joseph Raftery and A.T. Lucas. By the time of this visit most of the cist stones had been disturbed, and cremated bone was found both within and outside the cist, having been dug out. This report is based on Mr Barron’s notes and sketches of the site (Pl. 50). The human remains were analysed by Laureen Buckley.

Location (Fig. 3.133)
The site is in the townland of Doon, north-west Co. Meath, approximately 4km east of the Cavan border.²³⁸ It was in a flat field at an altitude of 150–160m above sea level and occupying a height in the valley area of the beginning of the drumlin belt.

Description of site
The cist was rectangular in plan, with its long axis running east/west. Internally, it measured 0.61m long by 0.41m wide by 0.28m high. It was formed of four edge-set slabs, one at each side. Four long, flat slabs had been placed on top of the side slabs, and the capstone rested directly on these. These were remarkably large in size, the two at the sides being longer than the side stones.

The northern slab measured 0.61m long by 0.36m wide by 0.08m thick. That at the south measured 0.97m long by 0.23m wide by 0.15m thick. The western end slab measured 0.81m long by 0.46m wide by 0.08m thick. The capstone measured 0.81m long by 0.56m wide by 0.16m thick. There was no evidence for packing stones around the outside of the cist and the floor of the cist does not seem to have been paved. The pit dug to receive the cist was not located.
The grave contained the cremated remains of an adolescent (1947:231.2) accompanied by a bowl. The cremation had been placed at the eastern end of the cist, and the vessel was placed near the north-west corner. The bowl, classified by Ó Ríordáin and Waddell (1993, 220) as a ribbed bowl, was complete when found.

Ribbed bowl, 1947:231.1 (Fig. 3.134)
This vessel is a well-proportioned ribbed bowl with a symmetrical biconical profile and a hard, smooth, well-fired fabric, light buff in colour with occasional smallish grits of darker colour. A fragment 7.5cm long by 2cm high has broken off at the rim. The shoulder has two pronounced grooves defined by three raised narrow ridges. The lower ridge has decoration of short, oblique incisions or stabs. The middle range has a decoration of conjoined shallow arcs in false relief, apparently applied by fingernail and/or a pointed stick or other instrument. Immediately below the lower shoulder ridge is a chevron pattern in false relief, the band of the chevron being filled with punctured ornament impressed with a toothed instrument or comb. A similar, although more irregular, band is placed just above the base. Between the upper and lower chevrons there is an irregular band defined by two incised parallel lines,

4–5mm apart, with oblique stabs (or sometimes double dots) in the interlinear space. The area above the shoulder is divided into fourteen small panels by a series of horizontal and vertical false-relief chevrons. On the internal bevel of the rim the chevron also occurs, employing the same technique as on the body of the vessel.
Dimensions: H 12.2cm; ext. D rim 12.1cm; int. D rim 10.5cm; T wall 1.2cm; max. D at shoulder 15cm; D base 5.9cm.

Comment
The human remains from this site have not been dated. The ribbed vessel has a very unusual, open style of decorative scheme, with large areas void of ornament. In this respect it is similar to the vessels from Rubane, Co. Down²³⁹ (Ó Ríordáin and Waddell 1993, 160, no. 8), and Lehinch, Co. Offaly²⁴⁰ (ibid., 193, no. 180), both of which are placed in stage 3 of the development of bowl tradition pottery by Brindley (2007, 174–5), which is dated to 1980–1930/20 BC.

HUMAN REMAINS
LAUREEN BUCKLEY

Introduction
Sample 1947:231.2 consisted of 389 fragments of cremated bone, weighing a total of 399g. The bone was covered with soil but the basic colour was white and it had a chalky texture. The vertebral bodies seemed barely changed by the cremation but the long bones were efficiently cremated, with numerous horizontal fissures and warping of the bone.

Table 3.68—Fragmentation of bone, 1947:231.2.

Table 3.69—Proportion of identified bone, 1947:231.2.

The fragmentation of the sample is shown in Table 3.68; the largest fragment measured 50mm. The weight is nowhere near that of a full cremation, so it is likely that only a portion of the sample was collected. Most of the bone consisted of large fragments, with very few of the smaller fragments. In fact, the small fragments that were present were probably the result of fragmentation that occurred after excavation.

Identifiable bone
Despite the small sample size, the large fragments that were present enabled 50% of the bone to be identified. Table 3.69 shows the amount and proportion of the identified bone.

Table 3.70—Summary of identified bone, 1947:231.2.

Table 3.70 summarises the main parts of the skeleton identified. Despite the small sample size, the proportion of the various skeletal parts is similar to that expected in a normal cremation, with just a little higher proportion of upper limb at the expense of the lower limb.

Description of identifiable features of the bones
Skull
Most of the fragments were moderate- and small-sized fragments of calvarium with parietal and occipital bone present. Also present was a fragment of a right zygomatic bone.

Dentition
One large fragment of mandible and one small fragment of maxilla were present. There were only three tooth roots present, an upper canine and possibly two premolars.
The following sockets were present in the mandible:

The second molar had probably not erupted, which would indicate that the individual was aged 12–15 years.

Vertebrae
The body of one and fragments of a few other lower cervical vertebrae were present. There was also one thoracic vertebra and the complete body of one lumbar vertebra.

Ribs
Mostly small fragments of shaft, with only one fragment of tubercle.

Pelvis
Fragments recovered included one almost complete acetabulum, one right ischium with epiphysis unfused, two fragments of iliac crest with epiphysis unfused and other fragments of Ilium.

Scapula
There was an almost complete left scapula, with the glenoid fossa, acromial spine and most of the lateral border present. A fragment of another acromion was also present.

Humerus
There were several fragments of shaft.

Radius
Fragments from the proximal and distal third of the shaft were present.

Ulna
There were fragments from the proximal shaft and part of an olecranon.

Femur
There were fragments of two femoral heads, as well as fragments of one distal joint surface. Large fragments of shaft were present, including the proximal shaft from a left femur.

Tibia
An almost complete proximal joint surface from a left tibia was present, as well as a partial distal joint surface. There was also a fragment from another proximal joint end and several fragments of shaft.

Fibula
One fragment of shaft remained.

Tarsals/metatarsals
The base of one proximal foot phalanx was present.

Minimum number of individuals
The minimum number of individuals present appears to be one, and it was probably an adolescent aged 12–15 years.

Summary and conclusions
This sample consisted of 399g of efficiently cremated bone. Most of the bone was in large fragments and it was possible to identify 50% of the sample. Apart from the small bones of the hands and feet, most skeletal elements were present, and the various parts of the skeleton were represented in a similar proportion to what would be expected from a normal cremation. Examination of the identified bone indicated that the remains were from one individual, an adolescent probably aged 12–15 years at the time of death.

238. Parish of Moybolgue, barony of Kells Lower. SMR ME001-009——. IGR 272388 291067.
239. UM L56-1913.
240. 1979:20.