2007:AD28 - Johnstown Glebe, Laois

A programme of archaeological works was carried out on the site of LA028–037 (earthwork) in October 2007. The work was conducted at the request of the National Monuments Service following the exposure of skeletal remains during topsoil removal in advance of the construction of a house. The development was permitted without an archaeological condition attached. The enclosure was marked on the first-edition OS map but recorded as having no visible surface trace in the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois. A brief detailing the scope of works to be included in the archaeological mitigation of the development was drawn up by the National Monuments Service. This work involved the cleaning, recording and reinstating of the site to its pre-development state. The human burials within the site were to be recorded in situ and the partially exposed skeleton was to be fully excavated. Disturbed human bone was to be retrieved from the spoilheaps on site. There was to be licensed metal detection of the disturbed soil. In addition an area to the west of the site where it was proposed to relocate the development was to undergo test excavation.
The site was initially cleaned back by a crew of archaeologists using hoes and trowels. It was during this process that two ditches representing the south-west quadrant of the enclosure were uncovered. The width of the two ditches ranged between 2m and 3m with a distance of 5–8m between the outer and inner ditches. The human remains exposed amounted to 36 possible skeletons and eight disarticulated skeletons. These were mostly concentrated in the south-east of the site within and proximal to the outer ditch (the burial-ground did not appear to extend beyond the limits of the cleaned area). The burials in situ were recorded, planned and photographed and one fully exposed skeleton was excavated. All loose human bone, which could not be identified as belonging to any particular burial, was placed in labelled bags and removed from the site for osteological analysis. The assemblage consisted of eighteen adult and eighteen juvenile skeletons, suggesting this site represents a cemetery dedicated to the burial of juveniles and/or the marginalised, a cillín. On completion of the work a geotextile membrane was placed over the exposed burials and archaeological features, and a mechanical excavator fitted with a 2m grading bucket reinstated the previously removed soil under archaeological supervision.
Metal detection of the machine-excavated spoil was carried out. The spoilheaps were spread across a suitably level area and metal detection was carried out using a hand-held unit. Only agricultural and construction waste (nails, wire, bolts, etc.) was found during the course of this work. The spoil was also sifted for any loose human bone, which again was placed in labelled bags and removed for osteological analysis.
Pre-development testing comprised the excavation of six trenches on the suggested new footprint of the proposed development, which is located to the west of the previous proposal. The topsoil had an average thickness of 0.35m across the tested area and overlay orange/brown sandy clay subsoil. No archaeological material was uncovered. Results from the programme of testing clearly show that the features and burials exposed in the vicinity of LA028–037 do not extend beyond the limits of the previously stripped area. No further archaeological mitigation was recommended.