County: Louth Site name: DUFFSFARM, CO. LOUTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR LH022-044 Licence number: E1115
Author: A.T. LUCAS
Site type: Graves of indeterminate date
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 714426m, N 780216m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.758978, -6.264665
Introduction
In July 1952 human remains were discovered during the laying of a water mains trench at Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. The trench, measuring approximately 0.61m by 0.2m, was dug along the margin of the road south of the castle and on the north side of the road. In the course of this work three human skulls and a quantity of other human bone were found, between depths of 0.3m and 0.9m. The site was reported to the NMI by the Garda Síochána at Drogheda and was
visited by A.T. Lucas. The human remains were examined by Laureen Buckley.
Location (Fig. 6.31)
The site was in the townland of Duffsfarm, south Co. Louth.50 It was on the east side of the village of Termonfeckin, close to the castle site at an altitude of 18–24m above sea level. No sites of similar type are known from this area but according to a local tradition the adjoining field on the south side of the road, known as Condon’s field, had been used as a burial ground.
Description of site
As mentioned above, one of the skulls was found at a depth of 0.3m and the others between 0.6m and 0.9m. As the ground sloped steeply from the hill on which the castle is built and the road traversed the base of the slope, Lucas attributed the shallow depth at which the first body lay to the fact that the ground level at this point had been cut to prepare a platform for the construction of the road. The area where the skulls had been found at a greater depth was known locally to have been a boggy area and a substantial depth of fill had to be inserted to secure a firm foundation for the road. A large stone that appeared across the trench near the skulls at the deeper level was removed under Lucas’s supervision. It lay at a depth of about 0.15m and the underlying soil was carefully removed. This soil was found to comprise loose stones with what Lucas describes as a ‘tenacious grey clay’ intermixed, and at a depth of 0.6m a small piece of unglazed ware was found.51 Two other sherds52 were found in the upcast material from the trench nearby. All three pieces appear to be medieval in date. A fragment of an iron hoop53 was also found in the trench near the flat stone at a depth of about 0.45m below the surface. No grave structure was noted, so it is not clear whether the lower two burials were separate or part of the one grave. The remains had already been removed from their original contexts by the time of Lucas’s visit and it was therefore not possible to imply an association between the burials and the artefacts found.54
Comment
In the absence of associated finds or other dating evidence these burials must be regarded as undated. The minimum number of individuals found at the site was six—comprising four adults and two juveniles (1953:44). The bodies had been aligned with the heads to the east and the greater portion of the skeletons lay under the road surface. No further information was recorded.
HUMAN REMAINS
LAUREEN BUCKLEY
Introduction
The bones were all registered under the one number, 1953:44, but consisted of a number of skulls and some long bones. Most of the skeletons were under the adjoining road. The burials were aligned east–west, with heads to the east.
Skull 1: older adult, female
This skull consisted of a virtually complete cranium in one piece, with only part of the right temporal bone, a small part of the right parietal bone near the squamous suture and the right zygomatic bone missing
Age and sex
Most of the features of this skull, the external occipital protuberance, the supraorbital ridges and the orbital rims, were of the female type, although the mastoid processes seemed more like the male type. As there were more female features than male, it was decided on balance that this was a female skull. It is difficult to determine age from the skull only as the sutures can only give an indication of age and are not fully reliable. The sutures were almost obliterated in this individual so it is probably an older adult.
The crown of the right lateral incisor, 12, had been broken post-mortem. Some of the teeth had been glued into their sockets.
Attrition: there was light wear on the anterior teeth, with moderate wear on the molar teeth.
Calculus: there were light deposits on the buccal surfaces of the incisors, left premolars and left first molar. The other teeth had moderate deposits on their buccal surfaces and there were also light deposits on the lingual surface of the right central incisor.
Periodontal disease: there was a slight degree of alveolar recession around the roots of the molar teeth.
Hypoplasia: linear enamel hypoplasia was present on the central incisors.
Skull 2: late middle adult, female
This skull consisted mainly of a virtually complete calvarium. The occipital bone and left temporal bone were virtually complete. The parietal bones were complete and most of the squamous part of the frontal bone was present. An isolated left orbit could have belonged to this individual although it could not be directly connected to the remaining frontal bone. The maxilla was also present and the mandible was complete.
Age and sex
The external occipital protuberance, the mastoid process, the posterior zygomatic arch and the mental eminence were all of the female type. The sutures were well fused but not obliterated so this may have been a middle-aged individual.
Non-metric traits
The metopic suture was retained. There was a small ossicle at lambda.
Skeletal pathology
Moderate cribra orbitalia, which may be caused by iron-deficiency anaemia, was present in the left orbit. There was a small osteoma in the middle of the right parietal bone. There was a small lesion on the right parietal bone near the sagittal suture. It was not a weapon wound but it was a circular lesion with defined edges. The diploe was exposed but healed over and slightly raised at the edges.
There were black deposits on the buccal and lingual surfaces of the anterior teeth in the maxilla. This sometimes occurs if the bone has been lying in a waterlogged environment but the bone would also have black patches in that case. Black deposits have been known to be found on the teeth of pipe smokers, and have been found in archaeological specimens associated with clay pipe wear.
Attrition: there was no wear on the lower third molars, the upper left canine and premolars and upper right second premolar. There was light wear on most of the other teeth apart from the first molars and lower left second molar, where attrition was moderate.
Abrasion: the distal-buccal corner of the upper right first molar was broken during life and the broken part had been polished over with wear.
Calculus: there were light deposits on the buccal and lingual surfaces of most of the teeth in the maxilla, although deposits were moderate on the buccal surfaces of the right central incisor and left lateral incisor and the lingual surface of the left central incisor. In the mandible there were light deposits on the buccal surfaces of most teeth except for the left lateral incisor, canine and first premolar, and right lateral incisor and canine, where deposits were moderate. There were light deposits on the lingual surfaces of the teeth in the right side of the mandible but deposits were mainly moderate on the left side.
Periodontal disease: there was a slight degree of alveolar recession around the roots of the upper incisors, left canine and right first and second molars. In the mandible there was a slight degree of recession around most of the molars apart from the right first molar, where recession was moderate.
Hypoplasia: linear enamel hypoplasia was present on the upper central incisors, the upper right first premolar, the lower left canine and second premolar and the lower right second
premolar. There were also grooves of hypoplasia in the upper central incisors and pits in the lower left second premolar.
Skull 3
This consisted mainly of a virtually complete frontal bone with only the right orbit missing. There were also small fragments of a left and a right parietal bone and the right mastoid area of a right temporal bone.
Skeletal pathology
Mild cribra orbitalia was present in the left orbit.
Skull 4
This consisted of most of a right parietal bone and a small fragment of right squamous frontal bone near the coronal suture, with a very small amount of anterior right parietal bone. The sagittal suture was partially fused.
Skull 5
This consisted of a fragment of the anterior part of the squamous frontal bone. The coronal suture was not visible in this fragment, although another very small fragment from the left side with part of the coronal suture was present. Although they cannot be connected, it is possible that this bone is from skull 4, so itwas not counted inf the minimum number of individuals. Other skull fragments included a small fragment of squamous frontal bone and a fragment of parietal bone from near bregma.
Juvenile skull
Some fragments of juvenile skull, probably from a single individual, were present. These included most of a right parietal bone, the posterior part of a left parietal bone, most of a maxilla and the left side of a mandible.
With this state of dental eruption the juvenile was probably aged 9–12 years.
Calculus: there were slight calculus deposits on the buccal surfaces of the right lateral incisor, permanent canines and deciduous first molar. There were moderate deposits on the left deciduous second molar and left permanent upper first molar.
Hypoplasia: linear enamel hypoplasia was present on the upper permanent incisors and canines and lower left canine and first permanent molar.
Disarticulated bone
Left femur
(1) The proximal half of a femur shaft from a female individual (FeHd 38.9mm; FeD1 21.6mm; FeD2 25.5mm).
(2) The proximal third of a left femur shaft with the lesser trochanter and part of the neck present (FeD1 25.3mm; FeD2 31.6mm).
(3) The proximal half of the shaft of a left femur (FeD1 20.7mm; FeD2 25.9mm).
(4) The proximal end of a left femur with the head and part of the neck present. The diameter of the head indicates that it is from a female individual (FeHd 42.1mm).
(5) The distal end of a left femur with a small amount of the shaft still present. The epicondylar width suggests that this is from a male (FeE1 80.6mm).
(6) The distal third of a shaft of a left femur.
The minimum number of left femora present was three.
Left tibiae
One section from the mid-shaft area of a left tibia and another fragment of shaft possibly from the same bone.
Fibula
The proximal half of a shaft from one fibula and two other smaller fragments of shaft.
Left humerus
(1) The distal half of a left humerus.
(2) The distal half of a left humerus with a supracondylar process and mild marginal lipping on the medial edge of the trochlea.
(3) The distal third of a shaft of a left humerus with no joint end present.
Right humerus
(1) A virtually complete right humerus with only the proximal end missing. The bone appeared to be slender although it was slightly decayed on the outer surface. A septal aperture was present. (HuE1 45.1mm.)
(2) An almost complete right humerus with the proximal end missing. The bone was well developed (HuE1 61.5mm).
(3) An almost complete right humerus; the neck was present but the head was missing (HuE1 53.2mm).
(4) The distal half of a right humerus shaft.
Left radius
The distal two-thirds of a left radius.
Right radius
Most of the shaft and distal end from the same bone.
Left ulna
Distal half of the shaft only.
Right ulna
One complete right ulna (UlL1 261mm).
Other bone
Also present was one left ilium with auricular surface missing, one complete lower cervical vertebra, three right ribs, one left talus and a right second and third metacarpal.
The minimum number of adults present based on the number of skulls and the number of right humeri is therefore four.
Juvenile bone
(1) An almost complete left tibia with only the distal end missing, from an older juvenile (TiE1 53.5mm; TiD1 25.6mm; TiD2 21.9mm).
(2) A section from the mid- to upper shaft area of a right tibia, slighter smaller in size than the left tibia (TiD1 22.8mm; TiD2 17.8mm).
(3) The distal third of a right fibula from an older juvenile.
(4) A complete right clavicle (ClL1 72.8mm).
(5) The proximal half of a right humerus.
(6) A partial distal epiphysis from a femur.
(7) Two right ribs.
Although there is no repetition of individual bones, the minimum number of juveniles present is two, as the right and left tibia are different sizes and therefore from two separate juveniles.
Summary
The bones from this site consisted of a number of skulls and some long bones. It was found that there were four adult skulls and one juvenile skull present and that there was a minimum of four adults and two juveniles in the disarticulated long bones. The minimum number of individuals present was six. It is therefore highly likely that this is part of a cemetery site. At least one of the adults was probably male and two were female. One female was an older adult and the other was probably middle-aged.
Cribra orbitalia, which may indicate the presence of iron-deficiency anaemia, was found in the left orbits of two individuals. Two of the adults and the juvenile also had enamel hypoplasia, which is indicative of nutritional deficiency or acute illness during early childhood. There was not a great deal of heavy attrition on the teeth, suggesting a possible late medieval or post-medieval date for the skeletons. Calculus deposits were present on most teeth, including the juvenile, but they were not heavy. One of the female skulls had an right parietal bone. There was another lesion of uncertain origin on the right parietal bone of this individual.
50. Parish of Termonfeckin, barony of Ferrard. SMR LH022-044——. IGR 314500 280200 (approximate).
51. The exact stratigraphic relationship between these features is not clear.
52. 1953:40–42.
53. 1953:43.
54. The ceramic sherd 1953:40 measures 65mm x 52.17mm x 6.25mm thick. Patches of green glaze are visible on the outer surface. Sherd 1953:41 does not have any external glaze and measures 44.54mm x 38.94mm x 6.44mm. Sherd 1953:42 is glazed externally and measures 34.15mm x 26.59mm x 5.31mm.
