2002:1864 - GNEEVEBEG, Westmeath

This site was exposed during construction of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West project, c. 11km east-north-east of Moate. It was detected by archaeologists monitoring topsoil removal; fragments of burnt and unburnt human and animal bone were noted extending across a wide area. The site is in a low-lying landscape of undulating hills, on the plateau of a low hill rising to the 100ft contour; there was a laneway to the east curving around the site. A ringfort is clearly visible 150m to the north. The site extended for a length of c. 70m east–west and across the entire width of the pipeline corridor (15–18m north–south); the remainder extended beyond the pipeline corridor and was not excavated. Most of the thin peaty topsoil had been removed before excavation; it overlay a rocky subsoil and boulder clay with boulder drift left by fluvioglacial deposition.

Several phases of activity were identified. The earliest was represented by the remains of a badly disturbed crouched inhumation associated with sherds of a decorated vase. This vessel was identified by A.L. Brindley as being of the Early Bronze Age vase tradition, between c. 2100 and c. 1900 cal. BC.

An enclosing ditch with an internal diameter of c. 48m was exposed encircling the plateau of the hill; an entranceway with three associated post-holes was detected on the eastern side. Large quantities of animal bone were recovered from the upper fills of the ditch, but there were no finds. The ditch in the south-west part of the site was cut through by a shallow gully feature.

There were two small keyhole-shaped corn-drying kilns within the enclosed area. A small pit, F43, associated with a kiln, F41, yielded burnt animal bone, a metal strap-end, an iron knife and a possible candle-/rushlight-holder. Kiln F128 was cut into a deposit that was interpreted as upcast from the enclosing ditch. An infant burial (no. 120) was later inserted in the flue of this kiln.

There were several pits in the enclosed area. One exceptionally large pit, F39 (3.8m by 4.8m by c. 1.1m deep), was exposed in the central part of the site. There were many large rocks in the pit, which appeared to have been dumped mainly on the southern side; the main fill of this pit was a mixed deposit with occasional charcoal flecks and fragments of animal bone. The function and date of this feature are uncertain.

To the west of F39 was a small, shallow pit, F54, which had a fill of grey/black silty ash with 70% charcoal and occasional fire-cracked stones. Eight metal objects were recovered from the fill of this pit; most were very corroded and burnt and were unidentifiable. They included an iron strip fragment with a single perforation, an iron pin and an iron U-shaped fastener or staple-like object.

To the east of F39 was a small pit; the fill had frequent charcoal flecks throughout, and there were some small stone slabs toward the base, perhaps possible packing stones. Many fragments of animal bone were recovered from the fill of this feature. Three small pits and a bullaun stone with a shallow circular depression on its upper surface were also exposed in Area III.

A second large pit (3.25m by 3.2m) was identified c. 6.2m outside the area of the enclosing ditch. This pit had very steep sides and was up to 2.2m deep.

In total 135 burials were found on the site. The skeletal remains were in widely differing states of preservation. An exceptionally large number of infants and juveniles were represented: there were c. 36 juveniles, 52 infants and 44 adults. Most of the burials probably represent a continuous phase of use, as there was only a single layer of burials across the site, with the exception of a small group of infant and juvenile remains in Areas II and III that overlay earlier burials.

Most of the burials were in shallow, ill-defined graves and were oriented roughly east–west. There were some burials in deep, clearly defined graves and occasional graves that were partially lined. The burials on the site have been divided into three rough types. Type I represents those burials that had clearly defined cuts or shallow cuts into the boulder clay; Type II refers to those that were within the subsoil layer at a slightly higher level; and Type III is a distinct group of mostly badly degraded infant and juvenile remains found within a mixed deposit, F73, in the centre of the site. Types I and II are probably contemporaneous, as most of the burials respected the limits of the other graves. Type III appears to represent later use of the site as a possible cillín, or children’s burial-ground.

Most of the burials were in the extended supine position, but there were variations. There were a few instances of adults accompanied by infants or juveniles. Very few finds were recovered. They included iron nails, corroded, unidentifiable iron objects, a few pieces of slag and the aforementioned bullaun stone. The dating of the burials on this site cannot be securely established until the results of radiocarbon analysis are received.

There were a number of unusual burials: Burial no. 5, an adult burial in Area IX, had a large skull fragment and a degraded jaw bone, with teeth, lying next to the upper part of the left femur. There was no skull attached to this skeleton. The skull fragment near the leg was quite deep below present ground level, and there was no evidence of disturbance before excavation. There is a possibility that this burial provides evidence of decapitation. It was within a partially stone-lined grave and was oriented east-south-east/west.

Burial no. 59, a juvenile in Area III, consisted of a burial in a clearly defined grave-cut; however, only the skull and a small, possible arm bone were present. A rock protruded naturally from the boulder clay below the chin of the skull.

Burial no. 133, an adult in Area VII, was the only prone burial identified on the site. Prone burials have been identified from other Irish cemetery sites; several were found in Cabinteely, in south County Dublin (Conway 1999, 33). Christopher Daniell (1977) noted that ‘excavations in England have revealed that bodies of people who had been hanged were sometimes buried “backwards”—that is, with their heads to the east, instead of the west, as was normally done—buried with hands tied behind their backs or thrown face-first into the grave’. This suggests that Burial no. 133 may represent a ‘dishonourable’ burial, perhaps the remains are those of a criminal or a suicide. The north–south burials on the site may also represent this category.

The multi-phase use of the Gneevebeg site makes it difficult to classify as a site type belonging to a particular period of time. The closest parallels for the site are found in the excavated Early Christian and medieval cemetery enclosures. Many of these sites also have evidence of different phases of use and a variety functions. Parallels can be found in sites such as Kilpatrick, Co. Westmeath, where corn-drying kilns and a bullaun stone were also found in a cemetery context (Swan 1976), and in Killederdadrum, Co. Tipperary, which also had a possible corn-drying kiln and some finds similar to those at Gneevebeg in a cemetery context (Manning 1984).

References
Conway, M. 1999 Director’s first findings from excavations in Cabinteely. Transactions (Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd) Vol. 1. Dublin.
Daniell, C. 1977 Death and burial in medieval England: 1066–1550. London.
Manning, C. 1984 The excavation of the Early Christian enclosure of Killederdadrum in Lackenavorna, Co. Tipperary. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 84C, 237–68.
Swan, D.L. 1976 Excavations at Kilpatrick churchyard, Killucan, Co. Westmeath, July– August 1973 and 1975. Ríocht na Midhe 6 (2), 89–96.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin