County: Dublin Site name: Peamount
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 18E0448
Author: David McIlreavy, IAC Ltd
Site type: Early medieval burial ground
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 700940m, N 730500m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.315139, -6.485138
An excavation was carried out at Peamount, Co. Dublin following discovery of human remains during monitoring within the wayleave of an Irish Water pipeline scheme. The site was identified on 27 June 2018 during monitoring and following consultation with the National Monuments Service trial excavations to establish the extent and degree of preservation were conducted between 9 and 17 July 2018. Full excavation of the site began on 25 July 2018, under Licence 18E0448, and was completed on 5 October 2018.
The excavation area is located within relatively flat agricultural land to the immediate north of the R120 road within the townland of Peamount. The land prior to development ground works was under arable cultivation. There are excellent views to the north-west and west, although immediate views to the east and south are blocked by hedging associated with Peamount Hospital and the R120 respectively. There are no archaeological features within 500m of the excavation area. The closest recorded archaeological features consist of two possible ring ditches (DU021-110 and DU021-111) located 692m and 746m to the south of the excavation area.
The excavation recorded a heavily truncated burial site surrounded by two penannular ditches. During the course of excavations, the remains of sixty-nine inhumations were recovered, along with twenty-one instances of disarticulated remains. Both ditches extended outside the wayleave of the pipeline to the south. The site is considered to be consistent with an early medieval non-linear burial site. No other significant archaeological features were recorded, and no further archaeological fieldworks are deemed necessary in conjunction with this site.
The results of AMS dating indicate that the site was in use during the 7th to 8th centuries AD. The majority of the burials were recorded within relatively shallow grave cuts, a consequence of the shallow depth of underlying bedrock across the excavation area. Osteological analysis carried out by Jennie Coughlan confirmed the presence of both adults and subadults of both sexes within the recovered skeletal assemblage. A number of individuals exhibited skeletal changes indicative of high-impact trauma, although all these injuries had healed prior to death. The site is not considered to have been associated with a particular church foundation, and may be classified as a possible ferta burial place.
Further Reading: Tobin, M. and Coughlan, J. 2021. A tale of two cemeteries: disparities and parallels in early medieval funerary customs. The Journal of Irish Archaeology 30, 177-182.
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Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
