County: Offaly Site name: LEHINCH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: R. Ó Floinn
Site type: Burial ground
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 626245m, N 733027m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.346816, -7.605847
In 1978 gravel digging uncovered a bowl food vessel associated with a crouched inhumation in a cist burial situated on a low hillock. About 50 square metres of the hillock was excavated and revealed a further six burials. One of these consisted of a cremation in a shallow pit, the other five were extended pit burials, orientated NW-SE with the head in the NW. One burial was accompanied by a portion of red deer antler, another appeared to have been decapitated prior to burial. To the south of the burials a portion of a curved, U-shaped ditch was uncovered, in which were found small pockets of charcoal and the complete lower jawbone of a horse. A small quantity of horse bones and 6 flint flakes were found in other areas of the site.
In 1979 a further 50 square metres of the site was investigated to reveal the nature of the curved ditch uncovered in 1978. This appeared to be penannular in shape enclosing an area (?)4m in internal diameter.
