County: Waterford Site name: WATERFORD: Mayfield or Rockets Castle (BGE)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Mary O'Donnell
Site type: Cist
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 659453m, N 612019m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.256667, -7.129167
This site was first noted when the capstone of a lintel-type grave was dislodged by machine. Excavation revealed no trace of a burial but a small bronze strap-tag of Anglo-Saxon type was recovered from the surface of the fill immediately under the capstone.
Excavation of the cist (which measured 90cm x 60cm) revealed unidentifiable flecks of cremated bone in the fill. Flecks of bone were also found around and behind the side stones, two of which appear to have been dislodged.
Further excavation of the surrounding area (14m x 7m) revealed a second pit close to the stone 'cist' which contained a very small amount of cremated bone, and a series of five, tiny, heavily truncated pits, one of which produced a very small flat-based vertical-sided pot. A series of agricultural gullies also crossed the excavated area.
The 'cist pit and the large pit beside it were found to be cut into a redeposited, very sparsely charcoal-flecked clay, which had a depth of up to 50cm in places over an investigated area of 2m x 4m. The archaeological nature of this deposit was not determined.
This remains an enigmatic site. Excavation was extremely difficult owing to alternating heavy rain and strong sunshine (which reduced the subsoil alternately to unworkable sludge or to a concrete-like consistency).
Marian Terrace, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
