County: Dublin Site name: Glebe
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 18E0232
Author: Muireann Ní Cheallacháín, IAC Ltd
Site type: Cremation burial pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 723710m, N 722670m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.239980, -6.146641
Archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping of a temporary carpark site in Glebe, Co. Dublin was carried out by Liza Kavanagh of IAC under licence 18E0232 in April and May 2018. The licence was reactivated under Muireann Ní Cheallacháin's name to undertake excavation of the archaeological features identified during monitoring.
The site is situated in Glebe townland to the east of the M50, south of the Cherrywood Avenue and north of Loughlinstown River in an area of former scrub. Previous excavations undertaken within the M50 corridor to the north-west in Laughanstown and Carrickmines Great revealed extensive Neolithic and Bronze Age funerary activity. The presence of megalithic tombs at Laughanstown (DU026-024) and further north at Brenanstown (DU026-007) further testifies to the importance of this area in the prehistoric period.
Excavation revealed six late Bronze Age cremation burial pits. Four of the burial pits contained a clayey upper fill whose function appears to seal the cremation deposit within. A possible post-pipe found within one of the pits, and a stake-hole within another, suggest the use of horizontal posts/stakes to mark the location of the cremation pits. Sherds of prehistoric pottery and occasional lithic debitage had also been included in the burial deposits.
Post-excavation analyses are ongoing and a final report is forthcoming.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
