1992:157 - NEW GRAVEYARD, Clonmacnoise, Offaly

Excavations continued in the New Graveyard at Clonmacnoise between June and October with funding from the Office of Public Works and the permission of Offaly County Council (see Excavations 1990, 49; 1991, 40-41).

The 1992 excavation has clearly confirmed that there is disturbance to the early medieval deposits in the north-west corner of the graveyard. Ridge and furrow cultivation has destroyed the 10th- to 12th-century deposits and very little stratigraphy has survived from this period apart from some pits which cut through the earlier (i.e. 7th–9th-century) stratified layers. There was also a quantity of redeposited material in the northern half of the cutting which may have been dumped in this corner of the graveyard at the time of the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979.

Large post pits, in which traces of timbers were found, together with a number of shallow pits containing peaty charcoal and burnt limestones, were the earliest features on the site. Above these a saucer-shaped spread of sand was deposited on which an occupation surface was formed. Contemporary with this on the River Shannon end of Cutting IV there was a cobbled surface measuring approximately 7m by 4m. The western edge of this cobbled surface dipped sharply into a depression or gully of wet sand in which there were a number of post pits, which would have held timbers of c. 60mm- 150mm in diameter. This area may represent a cobbled slip and a place where small boats could be tied up. It appears to have been affected by flooding as the surface was raised on a number of occasions by depositing loads of small stones. Subsequently a boundary (possibly of 2 periods) of wood and stones was constructed running east to west, parallel to the Shannon, across the cobbles and a rectangular sunken area was created behind this boundary (i.e. to the south). The function of this sunken feature, which was in line with the earlier line of posts, is not known although it too may have been connected with the Shannon and was perhaps a docking area for boats. It fell out of use and was deliberately backfilled with sand.

As noted in the 1991 preliminary report, the eastern wall and the hearth of a round house c. 7.5m in diameter were uncovered. A further section of the stone foundations of the wall on the north were excavated this year. These were up to 4 courses in height with a maximum height of 0.7m. Adjacent to this house on the north was an occupation area, approximately 5m in diameter, with a rectangular gravelled surface, 3.2m by 1.7m, outlined by small stones surrounding a slab lined hearth. This area may have been enclosed and roofed although no definite evidence for walling or roofing posts was found.

A single human burial was uncovered c. 0.7m below the surface within the uppermost undisturbed early medieval level. The burial was that of a child of about 7 years of age which had been inserted in a flexed position with knees bent and hands drawn up under the chin in a shallow pit. The pit was not well defined and appears to have been just sufficiently large enough to contain the child. No indication of a shroud, coffin, or covering were discovered. Analysis of the remains by Laureen Buckley suggests a post-medieval or later date for the child as the teeth appear to be those of a person accustomed to a sugar diet.

Many pits, postholes, drains, trenches, deposits of ash, daub and charcoal testify to intensive occupation between the 7th and 12th centuries.

Finds A
Over 692 objects were recorded this year excluding iron nails and unidentifiable iron objects from the disturbed levels. The dating of other finds from these levels, especially from the northern half of the cutting (see above) ranged from the 7th to the 20th century. The material recovered from these upper levels was recovered by sieving and included blue glass beads and a fragment of a bracelet with white interlaced inlay, E-ware, jet bracelets, a fragment of a green stone bowl, a Hiberno-Norse penny, stone hones, bronze stick pins, a bronze needle-case and needle, bronze strap-tag, silver ingot, iron knives, keys and tools, off-cuts of bone and antler and off-cuts from bronze working. Pottery sherds of the 13th-14th centuries were found for the first time since the excavation in the graveyard began although these would not have amounted to even one complete pot. A bronze stirrup ring and a Jew's harp may also belong to this period. George II and III coins from the 18th century, modern glass, pottery, clay pipes, etc., were also found.

Stratified material included a particularly fine tinned bronze mount with incised spiral design which probably dates to the period c. AD 700. E-ware, green porphyry, a Hiberno-Norse half penny, moulds for fine metal-work, bone pins, motif pieces, iron objects, an iron escutcheon, iron ringed and loop-headed pins, decorated pieces of bronze, very fine thin plaster (possibly fresco), a crucible, spindle whorl, hones, off-cuts of bronze, furnace material, slag and tuyere fragments were also found. A very large quantity of animal bones and fish bones was collected.

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