2003:2294 - FARRANASTACK, Kerry

Monitoring was undertaken by Lar Dunne of the Listowel Regional Water Supply Scheme under the auspices of Kerry County Council in North Kerry (Excavations 2002, No. 821, 02E1660). In late spring 2003 three areas of archaeological potential were revealed. This is a summary of the results of the excavation carried out in Area III. A curvilinear ditch was the first feature to be exposed; however, as the excavation continued a second curvilinear ditch and fifteen linear grave-cuts were also excavated.

The site is located c. 300–400m east of a minor road going north from Lisselton village on the southfacing slope of Farranastack Hill. Two curvilinear ditches, F20 and F82, were partly exposed and excavated. F20 was an arc with a rounded terminal at the eastern end; however, it was not possible to establish whether the ditch was originally penannular. The internal projected diameter was 5.9m while the ditch was 12.3m long; in general it was c. 0.7m wide and 0.3m deep. There were two main fills, F19 and F33, with three smaller deposits noted at the southern end. Charcoal was abundant in F19 and a 14C date of cal. AD 680–880 (Beta 180811) was obtained from it.

Approximately 30% of F82 was excavated; the remainder of the feature extended beyond the limits of the excavation. It was a wide U shape in profile, 0.44m deep, 0.78m wide at the top, and the arc excavated was 4.8m long. It had one mixed fill of sandy silt with large to medium-sized stones.

To date, fifteen graves have been excavated. Ten simple earth-cut graves with little or no stone lining are located throughout the area with no preferential spatial distribution. The stones that make up the possible lining are usually small flat stones, set on edge, located throughout the grave-cut. A large number of stones were included in the fill. There are three earth-cut graves with more extensive stone lining. All had a large amount of stones in their fills, some of which are possible collapsed capstones. Also, two graves had well-chosen, large, flat stones set along their western end. There are only two elaborate stone-lined graves, similar in their earth-cut form to the others, but the style of stone lining is different. The lining stones in the first grave were large and flat and set on edge along the north, south and east sides; a stone had also been found on the western end but had been knocked out of place by a machine. Together with the lining stones, four large flat stones were found just above the base of the grave. These are thought to be capstones that had collapsed into the grave. The second grave was not fully excavated. However, it was found that the western end and the base were fully lined with large flat sandstones. An exceptional feature in this grave was two stacks of large flat sandstones set on the stone-lined base. These stacks of stones may have been intended for lining the sides, or as capstones, but were never used.

All the graves were relatively shallow, with average dimensions of 1.92m by 0.58m by 0.24m. They were orientated east–west and four examples were slightly narrower at the eastern end. All but one example could accommodate one individual, with the exception of F89, which was wide enough to hold at least two. No artefacts were recorded in any of the graves and no evidence of human remains were recorded. Twelve of the fifteen graves had only one fill and in most cases this included medium-sized stones throughout. The grave-cuts were of both simple and elaborate design. The main issues regarding them are the period from which they date and whether they were ever used for their intended purpose.

The evidence for the latter indicates that the graves were never utilised as such and were perhaps backfilled or abandoned without a body ever being interred. In many cases there was ‘a dump of stones’ in the fill of the grave that formed no element of the structure. The abandonment of the area before being used is also evident in grave-cut F78. The position of ‘stacks’ of stones rendered it impossible to inter a body. All the evidence seems to suggest that, during the process of the grave being elaborately constructed, the work stopped and the grave was never finished.

No skeletons or bone remains were recorded in any of the grave-cuts, except for F36, where a tiny fragment of unidentifiable burnt bone was recorded. Soil samples from twelve graves were sent for total phosphorus analysis to Teagasc. Out of these, five returned an average of 780mg/kg and a further six returned an average of 1000mg/kg. These were compared to two samples analysed from virgin soil and the results were similar. The final sample, F36, had the highest phosphorus reading, 2000mg/kg, and this concurs with the recording of tiny fragments of burnt bone in the fill.

No artefacts were recorded to allow a typological date to be reached and datable material was scarce. Three charcoal samples, from sealed contexts, were sent to Beta Analytic for 14C dates. Unfortunately, the three dates were returned as cal. AD 680–890 (F36), cal. BC 390–190 (F86) and cal. BC 1965–1750 (F89). In the author’s opinion, it is not possible that all of these dates are correct, because the three graves appear to be contemporary. The laboratory was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for this date range. However, a fourth date was achieved from the curvilinear ditch F20 (cal. AD 680–880) and this, together with the date from F36 and the structural elements of the graves, leads to the strong possibility that the graves belong to the later Early Christian period.

3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry