2021:345 - 48, 50 & 52 Barrack Street, Cork, Cork

Human skeletal remains were discovered during archaeological monitoring of ground reductions close to the street front of Number 48 Barrack Street, formerly ‘Nancy Spain’s’ public house, following the demolition of that structure ahead of the construction of a social housing scheme. The skeletal remains were revealed just below the construction formation level in this particular portion of the new development. Following the granting of all relevant approvals, after liaison with the relevant authorities, archaeological excavation of a 6.5m (northeast to southwest) by 5.5m (northwest to southeast) area to the rear of the retained façade of the former pub was undertaken. This discrete area had the lowest lying construction formation level within the development site (19.920m OD).

The archaeological monitoring and the subsequent excavation were carried out under an extension to Excavation Licence 21E0361. Two previous phases of archaeological testing (Phases 1 & 2) and a programme of archaeological excavation (Phase 3), associated with the discovery of a large ditch feature (CO074-183----) in the south-western portion of the development site, were also carried out under this licence. Phase 4 of the archaeological mitigation programme entailed the full archaeological excavation of the skeletal remains of six adult male individuals, as well as the full and partial excavation of a number of other archaeological features. Any features or deposits which were subject to partial excavation were reduced (or were already below) construction formation level and, as such, were preserved in-situ beneath the new development. The remains of a seventh individual were identified through the presence of excess adult hand bones during the post-excavation analysis of disarticulated bone retrieved from the site.

The initially discovered skeletal remains were revealed beneath a rubble layer which underlay the concrete slab on which the former pub floor (comprising of terrazzo slabs) was set. The fragmented and partially articulated remains of two adult male individuals (Skeletons 1 & 6), who were not contained within an identifiable grave cut, were revealed in the western portion of the cutting adjacent to the party wall with No.49 Barrack Street. The burial context of Sk. 1 and Sk. 6 was heavily disturbed by site activity which had occurred subsequent to the original burial of these skeletons. Not only were these burials not contained within a surviving discernible cut, but they had also been truncated above the lower trunk area by a later rough stone surface which extended beneath the foundations of the adjoining building.

Following further investigation of the area, a shallow mass burial pit was revealed 5m to the east-northeast of the initial discovery. The burial pit was orientated in a northeast to southwest direction and measured 2.25m long, between 0.65m and 0.76m wide (northwest to southeast) and had a maximum depth of 0.27m (below the surface of revealed natural subsoil). The foundation of the north-eastern gable wall of the former pub structure was located only 0.32m from the north-eastern end of the pit. The pit contained the largely intact skeletal remains of four individuals who were buried in a ‘head to toe’ manner. Based on the burial position of all four individuals, it was possible to discern that they had their hands/wrists bound behind their back, while their ankle areas had also likely been bound. The burial pit had been backfilled with a soft and mixed light orangish brown to mid-grey silty clay which contained inclusions dating from the medieval to modern periods (the upper surface of the fill had been subject to modern disturbance). The earliest dating inclusions were likely residual to the site or the source of the backfill material.

Post-excavation osteological analysis has revealed that the buried individuals ranged in age between 18 and 25 years (Skeletons 1, 3 & 4), 25 to 29 years (Skeleton 6) and over 45 years (Skeletons 2 & 5). It was possible to discern that all six of these individuals were buried with their hands/wrists bound behind their backs, while the burial positions of Skeletons 2, 3, 4 & 5 within the mass burial pit indicated that it was highly likely that these individuals were also bound at their feet/ankle area at the time of their burial. Radiocarbon dating of a bone sample retrieved from Skeleton 1 returned a date of 384±26 BP or 1447– 1629 cal AD (95%), while dating of a bone sample retrieved from Sk. 5 returned a date of 362±40 BP or 1453–1636 cal AD (95%).

3a Westpoint Trade Centre, Link Road, Ballincollig, Cork