2016:871 - Bleach Road, Friarsinch, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

Construction works for the installation of a new underground telecommunications services duct were carried out by Eir/KN Group at Bleach Road, Friarsinch, Kilkenny City in September 2015. This work involved the mechanical excavation of a services trench on the south-west side of the existing Bleach Road, at a plateau that overlooks the sloping east bank of the river Nore. The construction works took place in an area of no known archaeological sites, and consequently the construction works took place with no archaeological mitigation measures, and in the absence of archaeological monitoring.

At the commencement of site works, construction personnel identified human remains in the north-west end of a trench, and contacted the Gardaí and Kilkenny County Council (KCC). The author was contacted by KCC and requested to attend the site to advise accordingly. The author attended the site and established that there were human remains present within the construction trench, and also within the spoil heap from same. The author identified a human cranium (incomplete) and mandible as being present in the north-west end of a shallow linear trench that was orientated north-west x south-east and measured 5m long, 0.4m wide, and 0.25m deep. The author contacted the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland and explained the situation, and applied for an archaeological licence to carry out preservation by record of the archaeology. The author removed the visible bone for safe keeping and oversaw the covering of the location of the bone with geotextile, followed by hand backfilling. Following the issuing of archaeological licence 16E190, the author and excavation team returned to the site and reopened the trench and carried out a rescue excavation of the exposed archaeology. This work was completed during May 2016.

The excavation identified disarticulated human remains within the original construction trench. The area had been heavily disturbed by previous road widening, and drainage construction.

Osteoarchaeological examination of the skeletal assemblage identified that bones of up to five individuals were present. All of the bones identified were in poor condition. The presence of several individuals in the skeletal assemblage indicates that this site was a previously unknown burial ground. Skeletal pathologies indicated that the individuals lived hard, physically demanding lives, and suffered from the consequences of poor diet and lack of nutrition. Radiocarbon dating carried out on a tooth sample from the assemblage returned a C14 determination of cal AD 892-1018 (2 sigma, UBA42813). This C14 date indicates that the individual lived between the late ninth and early eleventh centuries, and dates this site to the early medieval period.

This site is likely to represent the disturbed remains of a ferta, or early medieval familial burial ground. The church reforms carried out in the twelfth century likely resulted in the end of the use of ferta, although most were probably obsolete before this time.

Kilmainham, Mountmellick, Co. Laois