2006:665 - KILMAINHAM: Military Road/St John’s Road, Dublin

Monitoring has been undertaken at the site since November 2005. Archaeological work over most of the site confirmed the results of earlier test excavation undertaken as part of the initial EIS on the site (Excavations 2002, No. 610). There is no remaining topsoil over the site, and no medieval deposits have been uncovered. The underlying soils are stiff gravels and clays, encountered when the upper level of modern contaminants are removed.

The sole exception is an area at the east of the site where a cremation cemetery was excavated in January/February. The presence of this cemetery was noted during initial fieldwork as part of the EIS, when a single pit containing a decorated clay pot (tripartite vase) and calcined human bone was excavated. A 14C date centring on 1928 bc was returned for a sample of the human bone. The individual was an adult male.

Modern intrusion in this area was quite high, with dumps of asbestos piping, and some pits with iron bars and other debris. A 19th-century gravel quarry located to the north of this area limited the northern part of the cemetery.

In the limited area uncovered in the vicinity of the 2002 pit, a further five pits were excavated, over an area measuring c. 12m by 10m. The pits were quite closely clustered, but there was no surviving evidence for a cairn or covering mound.

All of the pits contained calcined bone, identifiable as human. Three of the pits contained a small ‘token’ deposit of bone and no further finds. One pit, F04, contained sherds of a decorated vessel, a so-called pygmy cup, and much calcined bone. Towards the base, a thin layer of burnt clay was present, which may have been removed from the funeral pyre. The sherds of the pygmy cup were scattered throughout the fill of this rather large pit, having been broken in antiquity. The vessel is very fine and has two perforations on one side area.

The second pit of this group to return a vessel is F03. A complete pygmy cup was recovered from this pit. In the course of stabilisation and cleaning, the conservator recovered three beads from the interior of the cup. One is ceramic and two are bone; one is a finely worked decorated cylindrical bead. The bone beads have been calcined. This cup is classifiable as biconical.

Part of a limestone mortared drain associated with the gardens of the Royal Hospital was recorded in advance of removal. Additionally, a small section of mortared limestone footing was located towards the centre of the site. This was later 18th-century in date and probably connected with the steep bluff indicated on Rocque’s (1756) map of Dublin. It was recorded prior to removal. Work on this site is ongoing in 2007.

27 Coulson Avenue, Dublin 6