County: Kerry Site name: Creegooane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 21E0714
Author: Laurence Dunne
Site type: Flat cemetery and cluster of large pits
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 480686m, N 622748m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.343339, -9.751105
The two areas of archaeological interest (Area 2 and 3) were discovered in September 2022 during Phase 5 of monitoring of topsoil stripping associated with an extension to Ardfert Quarry at Cregooane, Co. Kerry and were fully excavated in October/November 2022.
Area 2, interpreted as a prehistoric flat cemetery, consisted of twenty-two features including nineteen pits, two post-holes and a spread. All features were concentrated within c.10m x 10m squared area and with only few exceptions, similarities in deposition, size and shape in plan were noted. The vast majority of the pits consisted of charcoal-rich deposits and various amounts of burnt bone, identified by an osteoarchaeologist as human, were recovered from eleven pits (Ní Challanáin 2023). The final specialist reports are still on-going, however recovered charcoal from two of the pits in Area 2 returned radiocarbon dates that extend from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age.
Area 3 was located c.100 m south from Area 2 and c.30m north-east from Area 1 excavated during a previous Phase 4 (Dunne et al 2021). In total, nine features were recorded within Area 3 including: four pits, four stake-holes and a spread. Osteoarchaeological analysis suggests that the two larger pits excavated in Area 3 could potentially be the remains of pyre pits associated with the flat cemetery in Area 2 (Ní Challanáin 2023). Prehistoric pottery sherds, two flint scraper lithics and two stone artefacts were recovered from the area. The pottery sherds were identified as Middle Bronze Age domestic pottery and fine vessel of Cordoned Urn Tradition (E. Grogan, pers. comm.) The date was also confirmed by the charcoal recovered from pit C.98 in the area which returned Middle Bronze Age date.
References:
Dunne, L., Labaj, K & Ficner, H. (2021), Archaeological Excavation Report, Creegooane, Ardfert, Co. Kerry, Licence No. 21E0714. Unpublished report Laurence Dunne Archaeology
Ní Challanáin M. (2023), Ostearchaeological Analysis Creegooane, Co. Kerry 21E0714. A report on the analysis of cremation pit burials.
3 Lios na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee Co. Kerry
