Killhill 4, Co. Kildare Licence Number

Home , Kilcock, Kilcullen, South Salt

N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme

Site Name: Killhill 4, Co. Kildare

Licence Number: 03E1573

NGR: 295184/223351

Bronze Age Ringditch

Final Report

On behalf of Kildare County Council

Licensee: Elizabeth Connolly

January 2011

N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

PROJECT DETAILS

N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Project Scheme

Licence Number 03E1573

Excavation Director Elizabeth Connolly Senior Archaeologist Jon Harrison Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Consultant Bray, Co. Wicklow Client Kildare County Council

Site Name Killhill 4 Site Type Bronze Age Ringditch Townland(s) Killhill Parish Kill County Kildare NGR (easting) 295184 NGR (northing) 223351 Height OD (m) 110m

RMP No. KD020:001 (in vicinity of)

Excavation Dates 3–11 November 2003 Project Duration October 2003 – June 2004

Report Type Final Report Date January 2011 Report By Elizabeth Connolly and Tim Coughlan Connolly, E. and Coughlan, T. Killhill 4, Report Reference 03E1573, Final Report. Unpublished Report for IAC Ltd. Bray 2011.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd i N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This final report has been prepared by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd in compliance with the excavation Licence Number 03E1573 issued to Elizabeth Connolly by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the terms of the Contract between Kildare County Council and Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.

KILDARE NRDO

Sylvia Desmond and Noel Dunne, Project Archaeologists, Kildare NRDO, Naas.

Declan Bowles Resident Engineer, Kildare County Council.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS, DOEHLG

Archaeologist – Martin Reid

IRISH ANTIQUITIES DIVISION, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND

Assistant Keeper – Nessa O’Connor

ii Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

ABSTRACT

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC), funded by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through Kildare County Council, undertook an excavation at the site of Killhill 4 along the proposed N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme (Figure 1). The following report describes the results of archaeological excavation at that site. The area was fully excavated by Elizabeth Connolly under Licence Number 03E1573 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland for IAC.

An area c. 30 m by 30 m was stripped of topsoil by mechanical excavator and was subsequently excavated by hand. The excavation of Killhill 4 (Licence Number 03E1573) took place from 3 to 11 November 2003. Excavation revealed the remains of a circular ditch measuring c. 6.3 m in internal diameter. There were several cremation pits both cutting the interior as well as cutting the ditch. Two of the pits contained pottery.

The site has been dated to the late Bronze Age by radiocarbon dating of two samples. Typological analysis of the pottery has confirmed that it is also of late Bronze Age date.

The site at Killhill 4 is important locally as it forms part of a cluster of sites at the base of Killhill which indicate a continuing funerary tradition from the Bronze Age through to the Iron Age. This tradition is centred on the nearby recorded monument KD020- 001. The site at Killhill 4 is also of significance regionally as the presence of late Bronze Age domestic vessels within the cremation pits expands the distribution pattern in the mid Leinster region.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd iii N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

CONTENTS PROJECT DETAILS...... I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... II ABSTRACT ...... III 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Site location ...... 1 1.2 The scope of the project ...... 1 1.3 Circumstances and dates of fieldwork ...... 1 1.4 Methodology ...... 2 2 EXCAVATION RESULTS...... 4 2.1 Phase 1 Natural Drift Geology ...... 4 2.2 Phase 2 Bronze Age Ringditch and Associated Pits ...... 4 2.3 Phase 3 Secondary Activity ...... 6 2.4 Topsoil ...... 8 3 SYNTHESIS...... 9 3.1 The Archaeological Landscape...... 9 3.2 Typological Background of Ringditches...... 13 3.3 Summary of the Excavation Results...... 14 4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 16 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 18 5.1 References...... 18 5.2 Other Sources...... 19 APPENDIX 1 CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA...... I Appendix 1.1 Context Register...... i Appendix 1.2 Catalogue of Artefacts...... iv Appendix 1.3 Archive Index...... v Appendix 1.4 Sample Register...... vi APPENDIX 2 SPECIALIST REPORTS ...... VII Appendix 2.1 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche ...... i Appendix 2.2 Human Cremated Bone Analysis – Maeve Tobin ...... vii Appendix 2.3 Radiocarbon Dating Results – QUB Laboratory...... iv APPENDIX 3 LIST OF RMP IN AREA ...... VII

FIGURES

PLATES

iv Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

List of Figures Figure 1 03E1573 Killhill 4 Site location Figure 2 03E1573 Killhill 4 RMP map showing sites in the vicinity Figure 3 03E1573 Killhill 4 Site specific location within proposed development Figure 4 03E1573 Killhill 4 Plan of site Figure 5 03E1573 Killhill 4 Sections

List of Plates Plate 1 03E1573 Killhill 4 Pre-ex of site from W Plate 2 03E1573 Killhill 4 SW facing section of ditch, C4/C5 Plate 3 03E1573 Killhill 4 Detail of pot 03E1573:9:1-14, from SW Plate 4 03E1573 Killhill 4 Pit C10 Mid excavation (left) and Pit C8 (right) after removal of pot 03E1573:9:1-14 from NE Plate 5 03E1573 Killhill 4 C17 and C18. S-facing section Plate 6 03E1573 Killhill 4 C12 and C13, N-facing section Plate 7 03E1573 Killhill 4 C26 and C27 prior to excavation showing base of pot (03E1573:4) at top of fill Plate 8 03E1573 Killhill 4 C28 and C29, W-facing section Plate 9 03E1573 Killhill 4 C20 and C21, E-facing section Plate 10 03E1573 Killhill 4 Post-excavation, from W Plate 11 03E1573 Killhill 4 Bronze Age Domestic vessel 03E1573:9:1−14

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd v N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

1 INTRODUCTION This final report presents the results of the excavation carried out in the townland of Killhill, Co. Kildare. It is based on the direct stratigraphic relationships recorded on site and the results of specialist analysis of artefacts and samples from the site. The works formed part of an archaeological mitigation program associated with the N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme, Contract 2; Kill Village to Rathcoole, south Co. Dublin. Archaeological fieldwork was directed by Elizabeth Connolly of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. (IAC Ltd.) and was funded by Kildare County Council and the National Roads Authority.

1.1 Site location Killhill 4, Co. Kildare was identified during Linear and Offset Testing carried out by Elizabeth Connolly for IAC Ltd (Licence Number 03E1731). It consisted of potential archaeological features as follows: - a curvilinear feature roughly forming a circle, - two linear tangential features, one running westwards, the other eastwards, from the circle.

• Killhill 4, Licence Number 03E1573 • Townland: Killhill • Parish: Kill • Barony: South Salt • County: Kildare • NGR 295184/223351

The site was located north of the N7 in undulating pasture, with a general rise to higher ground to the south.

1.2 The scope of the project General The development consisted of The Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme and was essentially an improvement of the existing N7 between Maudlins Interchange and Rathcoole, in south Co. Dublin. The purpose of the scheme was to remove the existing traffic signals at Kill and Johnstown and all existing median crossing with reassigned traffic accommodated through a series of interchanges and local link roads.

The scheme for Contracts 1 and 2 was approximately 14.4 km in length. Contract 1 extended from the south end of the proposed scheme between the Townlands of Maudlins and Kill. Contract 2 was concerned with the north end of the scheme between the townlands of Kill and Hutton Read/Castlewarden. Contract 2 extended from Kill Village to the Kildare/Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, with the site located c. 450m north-east of Kill village.

Specific An area measuring 30m x 30m was opened over the archaeological features at Killhill 4. The site was not previously identified and was not classed as a Recorded Monument.

1.3 Circumstances and dates of fieldwork The excavations were undertaken in November 2003, to offset the adverse impact of road construction on known and potential subsoil archaeological remains in order to preserve these sites by record.

1 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Topsoil stripping was carried out by machine prior to the commencement of the excavation. Cleaning back and pre-excavation planning commenced on 3rd November 2003, this was followed by hand recording and resolution of the site. The excavation was finished on the 11th November 2003.

The work was carried out by a team of Director, 1 Supervisor and 5 Assistants.

1.4 Methodology The methodology adopted was in accordance with the approved Method Statement. The topsoil was removed to the interface between natural and topsoil using a 20 tonne mechanical excavator equipped with a flat toothless bucket under strict archaeological supervision. The remaining topsoil was removed by the archaeological team with the use of shovels, hoes and trowels in order to expose and identify the archaeological remains. A site grid was set up at 10m intervals and was subsequently calibrated to the national grid using GPS survey equipment.

All archaeological features were fully excavated by hand and recorded on pro forma record sheets using a single context recording system best suited to rural environment, with multi context plans and sections being recorded at a scale of 1:50, 1:20 or 1:10 as appropriate.

A complete photographic record was maintained throughout the excavation. Digital photographs were taken of all features and of work in progress. An environmental strategy was devised at the beginning of the excavation based on IAC in-house post- excavation and site methodologies and guidelines. Features exhibiting large amounts of carbonised material were the primary targets.

All artefacts uncovered on site were dealt with in accordance with the guidelines as issued by the NMI and where warranted in consultation with the relevant specialists. All archive is currently stored in IAC’s facility at The Library, Chapel Street, Lismore, Co Waterford and will ultimately be deposited with the National Museum of Ireland.

All dating of samples from the site was carried out by means of AMS (Accellerator Mass Spectometry) Radiocarbon Dating of identified and recommended bone samples. All calibrated radiocarbon dates in this report are quoted to two Sigma.

All excavation and post excavation works were carried out in accordance with the relevant approvals and in consultation and agreement with the National Roads Authority (NRA) Project Archaeologist, the National Monuments Section of the DoEHLG and the National Museum of Ireland. Where necessary licences to alter and export archaeological objects were sought from the National Museum of Ireland.

Final Report Date Ranges The following date ranges for Irish prehistory and medieval periods are used as a base for this report.

Mesolithic: 7000–4000 BC Neolithic: 4000–2500 BC Early Bronze Age: 2500–1700 BC Middle Bronze Age: 1700–1200 BC Late Bronze Age: 1200–800 BC Iron Age: 800 BC–AD 500 Early medieval period: AD 500–1100 Medieval period: AD 1100–1600 Post-medieval: AD 1600–1800

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 2 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Source: Carlin, N., Clarke, L. & Walsh, F. 2008 The M4 Kinnegad-Enfield-Kilcock Motorway: The Archaeology of Life and Death on the Boyne Floodplain. NRA Monograph Series No. 2, Wordwell, Bray.

3 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

2 EXCAVATION RESULTS The site was located on low lying tillage with gentle hillside rising up to the east and north.

2.1 Phase 1 Natural Drift Geology

Context Fill of D(m) W(m) L(m) Basic Description Interpretation C2 N/A Creamy, yellow, silty clay Subsoil

The natural subsoil, red-brown silty clay, was relatively homogenous across the site, and cut by all archaeological features.

2.2 Phase 2 Bronze Age Ringditch and Associated Pits The earliest Phase of activity on the site consisted of a ringditch which enclosed 4 pits (Figure 5, Plates 2 & 10).

2.2.1 Ringditch

Context Fill of D(m) W(m) L(m) Basic Description Interpretation C4 N/a 0.26 1.43 19.80 Cut of ditch Ditch cut C5 C4 0.26 1.43 19.80 Fill of ditch Ditch Fill C19 C4 0.15 0.54 2.60 Compact silty clay. Only in NW quadrant. Spread/Ditch fill C22 C5 0.20 0.75 4.00 Dark brown to black spread of silty clay. Spread/Fill

Finds: None

The ditch was roughly circular with an inner diameter of 6.3m. The cut (C4) was shallow, measuring 0.26m in maximum depth, the cut being irregular and inconsistent throughout. Edge definition was unclear in most places. The break of slope was generally sharp at the top and gradual at the base, with the base being flat but sloping slightly to the N.

The ditch fill (C5) was a mid-brown clay silt of a moderate compaction. It contained frequent finds of burnt and unburnt bone scattered throughout, with unburnt bone tending to be recorded more in the N of the ditch. There were also some finds of quartz recorded in the fill. An additional deposit was recorded filling the ditch in the NW of the site. This consisted of a shallow deposit of compact silty clay (C19) with a moderate amount of charcoal flecking, less than 50mm in depth. This has been interpreted as a variation in the fill of the ditch. In the NE quadrant a deposit of dark brown to black spread of silty clay (C22) overlay the main fill of the ditch (C5). This deposit (C22) contained frequent charcoal flecks and small stones and occasional larger stones and measured c. 20m in depth. It may also represent a localised variation in the ditch fill.

The ringditch fill C5, contained less than 20g of burnt bone. This may be explained as a token burial (i.e. after the cremation of the individual, a small quantity of the remains may have been selected for deposition in the ditch). Alternatively, perhaps only certain portions of the corpse were cremated and these are represented by the proportionally small quantity of cremated bone. Only 11.4% of the bone from C5 could be positively attributed to a specific element, an additional 40% were however noted as non-specific long bone fragments. Cranial fragments and a permanent incisor root were recorded, as was a single fragment of proximal rib (R3-8), which suggests an adult age. Indication of sex of the individual could not be established (Tobin, Appendix 2.2)

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 4 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

A fragment of burnt long bone from the ringditch was sent for radiocarbon dating. It returned a 2 sigma calibrated date of 1127−935 BC (UBA 13551) placing this deposit in the late Bronze Age (Chrono 14, Appendix 2.3)

2.2.2 Pits Enclosed within Ringditch Context Fill of D(m) W(m) L(m) Basic Description Interpretation C6 N/a 0.9 0.55 0.80 Cut of shallow oval pit. Pit Cut C7 C6 0.9 0.55 0.80 Spongy silty clay. Pit Fill C10 N/a 0.10 0.40 0.80 Cut of a pit, truncated at the SE by C8. Pit Cut C11 C10 0.15 0.40 0.80 Mid brown silty clay. Pit Fill C17 N/a 0.28 0.52 0.53 Cut of circular pit Pit Cut C18 C17 0.28 0.52 0.53 Loose grey brown silty clay Pit Fill C26 N/a 0.29 0.46 0.46 Cut of circular pit Pit Cut C27 C26 0.29 0.46 0.46 Brown sandy silt. Pottery and burnt bone Pit Fill

Finds Context Find number Material Period Description C27 03E1573:27:1-117 Ceramic Bronze Age 17 sherds of Late Bronze Age pot with c. 100 crumbs

Several pits were recorded in the interior of the feature, the primary one was possibly C10 (Figure 5, Plates 5, 7 & 10). This pit (C10) measured 0.80m in length E/W and 0.10m deep, and was sub-circular in plan. The cut was truncated to the SE by a later pit (C8). The pit was filled with a mid brown silty clay C11. The fill contained occasional inclusions of charcoal, burnt bones and angular stones.

One sample of burnt bone was recovered from deposit C11 measuring 0.9g. Although none of this bone was positively identified as human it is possible that the bone is disturbance from the later pit C8 (Tobin, Appendix 2.2).

Approximately 1.4m to the SE of pit (C10), was a shallow pit C6. This pit (C6) was oval in plan, measuring 0.80m N/S x 0.55m x 90mm deep. The fill C7 was dark brown silty clay with frequent small stones and no finds.

A circular pit C17 was located approximately 2m to the SW of (C10). This pit (C17) measured 0.53m in length and was filled with loose brown silty clay C18, which contained a small amount of cremated bone.

A total of 4.5g of burnt bone (sample 2) was retrieved from deposit C18. A single rib fragment was identified. This bone may represent a token burial or may represent the disturbed remains of burial C8 (Tobin, Appendix 2.2)

A circular pit C26 was recorded just inside the ditch in the W of the site. The fill (C27) contained the fragmented remains of the base of a pot almost at the top. The pot remains were removed in its context.

The pot remains from C27 have been identified as Vessel 2 following analysis. This represents a domestic vessel that has generally smooth, but uneven, buff to red-buff surfaces with sooting over part of the internal surface. The exterior was finished by smoothing over with thin slurry that masks the protruding inclusions. There is a darker, grey to dark grey core. There is a high content of crushed shale (Silurian?) inclusions with some crushed and uncrushed quartzite (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.1)

5 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

2.3 Phase 3 Secondary Activity The second Phase of activity on the site consisted of a number of pits and postholes which appeared to be stratigraphically later that the ringditch and pits described above (Figure 5, Plates 4, 6 & 10).

2.3.1 Pits Context Fill of D(m) W(m) L(m) Basic Description Interpretation C8 N/a 0.33 1.11 1.47 Cut of pit with pottery and burnt bone Pit Cut C9 C8 0.33 1.11 1.47 Mid brown grey silty clay. Pit Fill C16 C8 0.07 0.27 0.55 Dark brown charcoal rich silty clay Spread C12 N/a 0.16 0.60 0.64 Cut of shallow pit. Roots disturbance. Pit Cut C13 C12 0.16 0.60 0.64 Charcoal rich silt, contained cremated bone Pit Fill

Finds Context Find number Material Period Description C9 03E1573:9:1-14 Ceramic Bronze Age Complete late bronze Age bucket shaped vessel C16 03E1573:16:1 Ceramic Bronze Age Body sherd of late Bronze Age pottery

Truncating the earlier pit C10 was a larger oval pit C8. The primary fill of the pit consisted of a layer of very dark silty material (C16), which also contained a concentration of bone. Resting on top of the C16 layer was a bucket shaped late Bronze Age vessel lying on its side in a mid brown silty clay fill C9. There was a concentration of cremated bone in the vicinity of the pot as well as a moderate amount of charcoal flecking. It is possible that the pot was originally interred in the C10 pit but was disturbed by the later C8 pit and subsequently re-interred in the upper fill C9.

The pot (Plate 11) was removed from the pit in a block of the fill context (C9) and was sent for consolidation and conservation. Analysis of the pot has identified that it is an apparently complete coarse, bucket-shaped, flat bottomed domestic vessel (Vessel 1). It has a rounded rim with a steeply sloped internal bevel and a sharply defined internal ledge up to 6.5mm wide. Externally there is a slight constriction around 25mm beneath the rim giving the vessel a slight but distinctive upright neck. The body profile is gently rounded narrowing more sharply towards the slight footed base. The fabric is of good quality and well fired with a slightly uneven, worn cream-brown to orange-buff exterior; there is smoke staining on the upper portion of the vessel. This may be as a result of steam escaping from under a lid during use of the pot for cooking. The internal surface is smooth and coated with a blackened accretion that extends over part of the internal bevel. There are two irregularly spaced vent holes through the rim. Although the wear to the exterior, which appears to be mainly post- depositional, has exposed inclusions on the surface part of the very smooth original surface survives. This shows that the vessel had been finished with a fine slurry and had a smooth, even, inclusion free appearance when made. There is a moderate content of crushed dolerite inclusions with occasional uncrushed quartzite. (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.1)

The single pot sherd from the primary fill of the pit, C16 was identified as a bodysherds of smooth well-fired buff fabric. It does not form part of the pot from C9 above and has been identified as Vessel 3 (ibid.).

The urned burial C8 produced the majority of the cremated remains on Kill Hill 4 totalling 1406.8g. Some of this bone (55.4g) was retrieved from beneath the burial vessel in a lower fill of the burial pit C16. Elements from the four regions (skull, axial, upper limb and lower limb) of the human skeleton were only identified in the urned

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 6 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report burial deposit C9 suggesting that there was no preferential collection of specific skeletal elements for deposition. Six samples of burnt bone were retrieved from the deposits surrounding the burial vessel, C9 and C16; however the majority of the remains were contained within the urn itself. A substantial proportion of the remains (c. 860g) could not be positively identified to element and this was attributed to the high levels of fragmentation (Tobin, Appendix 2.2).

A minimum number of 3 individuals were identified in the urned burial C9. Dental remains of a young child (c. 2−4yrs) and two probable adults were recorded. Although the fragments of permanent teeth were mostly roots the enamel crowns that were present did not have any significant attrition, indicating an age range of adolescent/young adult. Identified elements of bone from C9 corroborate these identities with juvenile and adult remains comprising all four elements of the skeleton. A single distal metacarpal with an incompletely fused epiphysis indicates a late adolescent age range for at least one of the older individuals (ibid.).

Several animal bones, such as pig teeth and a probable sheet/goat radius (Aoife McCarty pers. Comm.) were noted within the C9 burial. Buckley and Buckley (1999, 26) suggested that animal bone may have been added to the pyre as an additional source of fat to increase the efficiency of the cremation. An alternative view that the animals may have represented food for the afterlife is also considered (ibid.).

A fragment of burnt cranial vault bone from the C9 burial was sent for radiocarbon dating. It returned a 2 sigma calibrated date of 1287−1130 BC (UBA 13550) placing this deposit in the late Bronze Age.

In the N of the site, a pit C12 cut the ditch fill (C4). This pit measured 0.60m x 0.60m x 0.20m deep and contained one fill (C13), which was a charcoal-rich silt containing small amounts of cremated bone and animal teeth.

A total of 8.1g of burnt bone was retrieved from deposit C13. Two fragments of cranial vault were identified. This bone may represent a token burial or may represent the disturbed remains of burial C9.

2.3.2 Postholes Context Fill of D(m) W(m) L(m) Basic Description Interpretation C14 N/a 0.16 0.20 0.20 Cut of circular posthole. Posthole Cut C15 C14 0.20 0.20 0.16 Greyish brown silty clay Posthole Fill C20 N/a 0.15 0.15 0.16 Cut of circular posthole. Posthole Cut C21 C20 0.15 0.15 0.16 Loose greyish brown silty clay. Posthole Fill C24 N/a 0.23 0.23 0.26 Cut of circular posthole. Posthole Cut C25 0.23 0.23 0.26 Dark brown moderately compact silty Posthole Fill C24 clay. C28 N/a 0.07 0.17 0.17 Cut of circular posthole. Posthole Cut C29 C28 0.19 0.19 0.07 Mid grey brown silt. Posthole Fill C30 N/a 0.05 0.16 0.16 Cut of shallow circular posthole. Posthole Cut C31 C30 0.17 0.13 0.05 Grey-brown friable clay silt Posthole Fill

Finds: None

Four postholes were recorded roughly forming the four corners of a square, to the N of pit (C26) (Figure 5, Plates 8 & 9). The four (cut nos. C14, C20, C24 and C28) all had similar single fills containing small amounts of charcoal, quartz and small stones. Postholes (C24 and C28) both cut the ditch (C4) while the other two (C14 and C20) had no direct stratigraphic relationships. It seems likely that given their location the four postholes are directly related and may represent evidence of a small temporary

7 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report structure. They may also have served as small token deposition pits, but the absence of finds or cremated bone from their fills would suggest that this is unlikely.

A fifth possible posthole (C30) cut the ditch (C4) in the N of the site. The fill of this possible posthole (C31) did not share a similarity with those described above.

2.4 Topsoil Context Fill of L(m) W(m) D(m) Basic Description Interpretation C1 N/A 0.4 Dark-brown sandy clay Topsoil

Finds: None

The topsoil consisted of a mid-brown sandy clay, and was generally 0.4m in depth. It sealed all features across the site.

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3 SYNTHESIS

3.1 The Archaeological Landscape

3.1.1 General Archaeological Background to the Scheme The area under assessment extends approximately from Kill Townland (OS Sheet 15, Kildare) through to Maudlins Townland (OS Sheet 19, Kildare). The general area is relatively low-lying, located on the W fringe of the Wicklow and Dublin mountains. A large interchange and realignment of the existing road into greenfield areas will take place in the townlands of Killhill, Kill West and East and Boherphilip. The excavations at Killhill townland lie in close proximity to an important archaeological complex comprising a large hill fort, a motte and bailey, two enclosures, a fulacht fiadh. The complex of monuments, in addition to the Bronze Age sites recently excavated (03E1570, 03E1569, 03E1571, 03E1573) reflect the importance of the area and the continuity of settlement concentrated around Killhill from the Bronze Age onwards.

Prehistoric Period There is some evidence of Neolithic activity in the area. The decoration on the Kilwarden Stone suggests that the monument dates to the late Neolithic period (Appendix 2; KD020-018). This large boulder inscribed with rock art was discovered in Kilwarden townland in August 1990 during field clearance works. It was located in an otherwise stone-free field on level ground and had formed part of a rough circle or arc of stones before removal. Although the possibility that the stones had formed the remains of a cairn was considered, it was concluded that the stones were unlikely to have been in their original position.

The Bronze Age (c. 2500−800 BC) produced the earliest datable structures in Kildare. The long stone rath with circular bank and fosse at Furness near Naas, approximately 5km W of Kill, dates to this period. Stray finds from the area also indicate Bronze Age activity, including an axe head from Raheen near Naas (NMI 1891:12) and a bronze dagger in a bog in the vicinity of Clane (NMI Record only). A fulacht fiadh is recorded immediately S of Kill village, on the banks of the River Kill. These sites are regarded as ancient cooking places and consist of a horse-shoe or kidney shaped mound of fire cracked stone, surrounding a slight hollow in which either a clay lined pit or wood lined trough is normally found (Gibbons 2001, 14). They are usually located in low-lying areas near a water source, often in clusters. Radiocarbon dates from these sites has indicated that they are Bronze Age in date.

A number of mound and earthwork sites (Appendix 2; KD019-018, KD019-044, KD019-045), including a barrow site (Appendix 2; KD020-002) provide evidence of probable settlement in the area during the Bronze Age. Tumuli are simple earthen mounds used in the Neolithic and Bronze Age to cover burials, while barrows are earthen burial monuments of the Bronze Age and Iron Age (800 BC – AD 500) and generally consist of a circular area surrounded by a fosse, often with an external bank (Grogan and Kilfeather 1997, 15).

Kill Hill (Appendix 2; KD020-001) is a very large hillfort/enclosure measuring approximately 600 m in diameter, located 120m S of the proposed area of land take. The walkover survey by ACS Ltd found it to be made up of the two possible enclosures, one running around the base of the hill and the other located to the SE of the summit of the hill. A possible standing stone was located within the enclosure. It was a tall thin granite post similar to the other possible standing stones located in the area. Given the size of Killhill and the surrounding archaeological landscape, it is likely that the enclosure would have been of great importance in the area.

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Early Medieval Period The early medieval period (AD 500−1100) is portrayed in the surviving literary sources as entirely rural, characterised by the basic territorial unit known as a túath. It is estimated that there were probably at least 150 kings in Ireland at any given time during this period, each ruling over his own túath. During this turbulent period, defensive enclosures known as ringforts, regarded as defended family homesteads, were constructed to protect farmsteads. The extant dating evidence suggests they were primarily built between the 7th and 9th centuries AD. These are the most frequently recorded archaeological site type and c.50, 000 examples are recorded in the Irish landscape. The ringfort or rath is considered to be the most common indicator of settlement during the early medieval period. Four enclosure sites (probable ringforts) (Appendix 2; KD019-010, KD019-057, KD020-001) and two ringforts (Appendix 2; KD020-003, KD019-007) are recorded in the surrounding townlands.

Place-name and documentary evidence suggests that the nearby village of Kill has its origins in the early medieval period and the foundation of a monastery there. The recorded dedication of the church to SS. Mary and Brigid in the early 13th century, together with the tradition recorded in the 19th century, indicates that Kill was originally Cill Brighde (Church of Brigid). It is probable that the Anglo-Normans took over a pre-existing church of St. Brigid and added the dedication to St. Mary (Bradley 1994, 297).

Many of the early ecclesiastical sites, some of which were monastic foundations, were originally defined by an enclosing wall or bank similar to that found at the coeval secular sites, such as ringforts. This enclosing feature was built more to define the sacred character of the area of the church than as a defence against aggression. An inner and outer enclosure can be seen at some of the more important sites; the inner enclosure surrounding the sacred area of church and burial ground and the outer enclosure providing a boundary around living quarters and craft areas. Where remains of an enclosure survive, it is often the only evidence that the site was an early Christian foundation. The slight curve in Main Street in Kill, to the NW and W of the church may represent the line of a former enclosure around the original church.

The present village may occupy the site of the medieval borough; however, the only extant indicators of the settlement are the motte and the parish church. Main Street almost certainly preserves the street plan of the 17th century borough, the existence of which is first recorded in 1608.

Medieval Period Little is known of the early process of Norman settlement in Kildare. It is likely that there was an influx of an immigrant farming population. By the end of the 12th century Norman settlement was effective over the whole county, as marked by the beginning of the rule of the Fitzgerald family as earls of Kildare. During this period, the Anglo- Normans built castles of stone construction or large flat-topped mounds or mottes with timber structures atop (Harbison 1997, 62) in order to defend their recently acquired lands. Their presence is noted in the area through two motte-and-bailey sites, one recorded in Kill (Appendix 2; KD0019-008/01) and the other in Castlewarden North (Appendix 2; KD015-009).

The motte and bailey, and later castles, were the centres of rural administration and justice throughout the medieval period. Archaeological evidence produced at some motte and bailey sites indicates that the motte and bailey did not stand in isolation in the countryside. Farm buildings are known to have stood around the motte at

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 10 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Springpark, Old Ross, Co. Wexford during the medieval period. Documentary evidence paints a similar picture, with the motte at Castlemore, Co. Carlow described in 1307 as having a grange (barn?) of ten forks and a watermill, as well as other timber and masonry buildings. A manorial court was still being held within the motte and bailey at Kill to settle agricultural disputes in 1540, long after the site had ceased to be used as a residence and farm centre. This suggests that a timber building still stood somewhere within the site at this late date and indicates that the motte and bailey had retained its position as the focus of agricultural concern in the area (O’Connor 1998, 32). The motte and bailey at Kill (KD019-008/01) was presumably erected by the ruling Anglo-Norman family, the de Herefords, in the late 12th / early 13th century. In the extent of 1540 it is referred to as ‘a small mountain surrounded by a dry ditch, on which the capital messuage of the manor was situated, and where the Court Baron is still held, when the turn for it comes’ (Bradley 1994, 295).

The site is in good condition and consists of a tree-covered mound (c. 12m high), enclosed by a ditch with a slight counterscarp bank, and a bailey on the NW. The Kill River flows through the ditch on the SW. According to Bradley, there is a small conical mound, 4.5m in diameter, immediately south of the motte, possibly a tumulus (1994, 296).

Kill Village Kill is a small village located approximately 8.5km NE of Naas in County Kildare. The village is situated on the Kill River in relatively low-lying ground along the W fringes of the Wicklow Mountains. The village itself takes its name from the Irish word cell meaning a church and probably started life as a small monastic site in the Early Christian period. The original dedication of the church is said to have been to St. Brigid. It is also suggested that Kill was the burial place of Cearbhall, an early 10th century king of Leinster (ACS).

Kill formed part of the cantred of Offelan and was granted to Adam de Hereford by Strongbow after the Anglo-Norman conquest of 1169-70. Adam, in turn, granted Kill to his brother John who was succeeded by his son Thomas de Hereford. The motte- and-bailey to the S of the village (Appendix 2; KD019-008/04) was probably built by the de Herefords in the late 12th or early 13th century (Bradley et al. 1994; Sherlock 1896, 99). In 1540, the motte-and-bailey was referred to as a small mountain surrounded by a dry ditch on which the capital messuage (stone house) of the manor was situated.

A commandery for the Knights Hospitallers was located at Killhill in the 13th century, c. 1 km E of the village, and that chapters of the Order were held there on four occasions between 1326 and 1334 (Lewis 1837). Charters of Thomas de Hereford from the early 13th century provide details about the village of Kill at that time, recording that the village was granted to St Thomas’ Abbey in Dublin. The abbey is recorded as holding a court and grange (monastic farm) in Kill, while Thomas de Hereford had a demesne there between 1215 and 1223. The earliest definitive reference to a borough at Kill occurs in 1608 when it was included in a list of boroughs and towns in Co. Kildare. By 1659, the population of Kill was estimated at 92 and by the 1830’s, there were 113 houses and the village was described as having a ‘neat appearance’ (Bradley et al. 1994).

3.1.2 Summary of Previous Fieldwork in the Study Area • Monitoring of a pipeline extension was carried out in Main St on behalf of Bord Gáis Éireann, and within the zone of archaeological potential recognised in the Urban Archaeology Survey for Kill. No archaeological features or artefacts came to light (www.excavations.ie 2000:0491, 98E0114ext).

11 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

• An archaeological evaluation was undertaken at a proposed development site located to the rear of The Old House, Kill, in compliance with a condition included in a grant of planning in respect of the development of the site. The site is located within the boundaries of the urban area of archaeological potential for Kill. No features, structures or finds of archaeological interest were uncovered (www.excavations.ie 2000:0493, 00E0438).

• An archaeological evaluation was undertaken at a proposed development site at Main St, within the boundaries of the urban area of archaeological potential for Kill and to the immediate E of the site of the medieval parish church. No features or structures of archaeological interest were uncovered. Two sherds of probable medieval pottery were recovered from the disturbed topsoil, and it was recommended that no further archaeological involvement at the site was required (www.excavations.ie 1999:395, 99E0396).

• Monitoring of topsoil-stripping associated with the construction of a dwelling was undertaken in compliance with a condition included in the grant of planning. The site is within the boundaries of a large enclosure (KD020-001) that encompasses the base of Killhill. Also on Killhill is a smaller enclosure site (KD020-002). No features or finds of archaeological interest were uncovered during the work (www.excavations.ie 1999:396, 99E0243).

• Archaeological monitoring was carried out at the site of a housing development at Killhill, Kill, Co. Kildare, on various dates from February to August 1998. The development site lies just outside the zone of archaeological potential for Kill and is surrounded by several other archaeological sites. A large enclosure, KD020-001, encompasses the base of Killhill, which is situated a short distance to the E of the development site. During monitoring of the pipeline no archaeological features or artefacts were noted. Monitoring of the housing development identified no archaeological features. Several fragments of burnt bone and a few tiny fragments of charcoal were found during the course of soil- stripping, but in no instance did any of these appear to be associated with structural features within the ground. Several fragments of flint were also found during the course of soil-stripping. These mainly comprised unworked pieces, but two represented struck flakes and one appeared to represent a core from which flakes had been struck. A single sherd of medieval pottery was also recovered (www.excavations.ie 1998:319, 98E0179).

• On behalf of Bord Gáis Éireann, and within the zone of archaeological potential recognised in the Urban Archaeological Survey for Kill, archaeological monitoring was carried out on the gas pipeline trench mechanically excavated along Main St and the Glendara Estate, which lies in the vicinity of a motte and bailey. Throughout the course of monitoring no archaeological features or artefacts came to light (www.excavations.ie 1998:320, 98E0014).

• In compliance with the recommendations of the National Monuments Service, a programme of archaeological testing was carried out at Killhill in May 1997, adjacent to an Anglo-Norman motte (www.excavations.ie 1997:272, 97E0152). No archaeological features or artefacts were identified in the southern trenches closest to the motte, although there was some evidence for field drains. In the eastern trench, two sherds of medieval pottery were recovered, while the northern trench also yielded sherds of medieval pottery.

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• Part of an enclosure possibly associated with the pre-Norman ecclesiastical foundation was revealed during testing carried out at a site in Kill, immediately to the W and SW of the parish church of St Mary and Brigid (www.excavations.ie 1996:184, 96E079).

• Pre-development testing was carried out at the site of a possible monastic enclosure situated immediately to the W and SW of the parish church of St Mary and Brigid. This 19th century building is built on the site of the medieval parish church and may in turn be located on an earlier pre-Norman ecclesiastical site and enclosure. Little of archaeological note was uncovered during the trial trenching. Evidence for activity in the area dating to the medieval period was uncovered in the form of a small number of pottery fragments, but these came from top soil contexts, the soil of which is known to have been imported onto the site from elsewhere. No evidence survives for the graveyard associated with the parish church ever extending beyond the line of the present boundary wall (www.excavations.ie 1993:134, 93E0059).

3.1.3 The Site Specific Archaeological Landscape of site Killhill 4 The site is located in the immediate vicinity of two other ringditch sites excavated as part of the same project. The enclosure at Killhill (KD020-001), to the south of these excavations is of Bronze Age date. Of Killhill 2 (03E1569) and Killhill 1 (03E1570), the latter yielded evidence for burial of cremated remains. At Killhill 1 the remains were dated to the middle Iron Age, although it is suggested that the original ringditch (undated) may have been late Bronze Age with later token pit depositions (Connolly and Coughlan 2010). Both of these ringditch sites had ditches of a comparable diameter with Killhill 4. At Killhill 1 cremated human bone was identified within the associated pit fills, but the features at Killhill 2 were sterile

3.2 Typological Background of Ringditches Ringditches are one of the monument types classified under the general barrow label. Newman (1997) has identified five main types in the Tara area based mainly on morphological differences between monuments. They include the ringditch, the embanked ringditch, the ring barrow, the bowl barrow and the bowl barrow lacking an external bank. Two additional barrow types, the stepped barrow and the enclosure barrow have been identified by Farrelly and Keane (2002). Ringditches generally consist of a single ditch enclosing an area, however, examples with two and even three enclosing ditches have been noted, such as at Tankardstown, Co. Limerick (Gowen and Tarbett 1988), Raynestown , Co. Meath (O’Connor 2006) and Creevy, Co. Donegal (Waddell 1988, 366). The incorporation of an entrance into the enclosed area, generally a simple un-dug causeway, appears to be more common to later monuments.

Ringditches and barrows became common burial monuments in the middle to late Bronze Age. These could contain central cremation pits or cremated bone/funeral pyre debris in or beneath a mound or in the ringditch fill. Sometimes there is no direct funerary evidence although often the monuments were located within a prehistoric cemetery complex (Daly and Grogan 1993). It can be difficult to be certain whether ring-ditches formed standalone funerary monuments or the remnants of flattened barrows or were in the case of those with no associated burials, cemetery markers or even non-funerary structures.

The manner of the deposition of human remains in the ringditch varies from site to site. Burial depositions consist of inhumations and cremations, the latter being the most dominant rite. The burials generally being interred in cists, stone lined pits and more commonly in simple unlined pits. The ringditch usually encloses the burial area,

13 Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report although in some case burials can be found outside this enclosed area. It is also common to find cremated deposits in simple spreads within the enclosure or within the enclosing ditch. In many cases a variety of burial forms may be found in one ringditch. In general the burials only represent a small proportion of the population; therefore they may represent the burials of high ranking individuals. A trend which is becoming increasingly common, as more ringditch sites are being excavated, is the complete absence of burials in ringditches.

Ringditches are generally located on higher ground and are often found in proximity to streams or rivers. Sites may cluster, along with other barrow types, to form barrow cemeteries. Ringditches appear to have continued to be built or earlier monuments re-used, during the Iron Age and early medieval period, such as Ardsallagh 1, Co. Meath (Clarke and Carlin 2008) and Cherrywood, Area A, Site 4, Co. Dublin (O’Neill 2001).

3.3 Summary of the Excavation Results The excavation at Killhill 4 revealed an annular ringditch. Within the enclosed area of the ringditch there were a number of pits which are thought to be contemporary. A further phase of activity was identified by the presence of stratigraphically later pits and postholes. These may represent a later ritual use of the site.

3.4 Summary of the Specialist Analysis A number of specialists provided analysis of samples and artefacts recovered from the site as part of the post-excavation works. This work in part formed the basis for the dating evidence for the site. The detailed reports on the results of all analysis are in Appendix 2

Prehistoric Pottery The site produced sherds from three late Bronze Age domestic vessels including a substantially intact pot lying on its side and associated with a cremation burial.

Vessel 1 is a small well fired pot of quite fine fabric that originally had smooth inclusion-free surfaces. The steep internal bevel and ledge are unusual features although similar profiles have been identified on vessels from Corbally (Silliot Hill), Co. Kildare, and Rathgall, Co. Wicklow. The very distinct internal grooves on the base are without parallel: they may be a result of compacting the clay of the unusually thin base rather than representing deliberate decoration. As the vessel was used for cooking, indicated by the burnt internal accretion (although this does not occur on the base itself), these may only have been visible before use. Separate disc-shaped bases onto which the walls of the pot were built occur, for example, on pots 2 and 4 from the enclosed cemetery at Priestsnewtown, Co. Wicklow.

Only a small portion of the lower part of Vessel 2 survives but this appears to have been similar to No. 1. The fine fabric and finish of these pots, including No. 3, is unusual although it is interesting that a small number of other sites in the region, such as Rathgall, Priestsnewtown and the cemetery cairn at Carrig, Co. Wicklow, also produced vessels of this quality.

Analysis of Human Cremated Bone A total of 1439.8g of cremated bone was presented for analysis from five features on site; a ringditch and four enclosed internal pits. Bone from burial C9 and C5 returned late and middle/late Bronze Age dates respectively. The osteoarchaeological analysis of the cremated bone recovered revealed that five of the deposits contained definite human skeletal remains and the remaining deposit C11 contained insufficient material for firm conclusions to be drawn.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 14 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Bone from pits C12 and C17 and ringditch C4 may also represent three further individuals however there was no evidence to suggest a duplication of individuals therefore the MNI for the Killhill 4 remains at three.

Although multiple individuals are not unusual in cremation deposits, it is not overly common to uncover the remains of three individuals.

Radiocarbon Dating A total of 2 samples were sent for AMS radiocarbon dating.

A sample of adult long bone from pit fill C9 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated result was 1373-1057 BC (UBA13550) (Chrono 14, Appendix 2.3).

A sample of adult cranial vault fragment from ditch fill C5 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated result was 1127-935 BC (UBA13551) (Chrono 14, Appendix 2.3).

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4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

4.1 Discussion The present excavation has uncovered Bronze Age activity at the site. The present phasing of the site is based on the direct stratigraphic relationships established during the excavation process and has been refined on the basis of specialist analysis of the finds and samples recovered during excavation.

The site is located in the immediate vicinity of two other circular ditched sites excavated at the same time as part of the same project. The enclosure at Kill Hill (KD020-001), to the south of these excavations is of Bronze Age date. The other two excavated sites are Killhill 2 (03E1569) and Killhill 1 (03E1570) with the latter yielding evidence of burial of cremated remains. Both of these sites also had ditches of a comparable diameter with Killhill 4. In Killhill 1 the excavation identified deposits of cremated bone within associated pit fills, but no cremated bone was identified from Killhill 2. Killhill 1 has been dated through radiocarbon analysis to the middle Iron Age, but Killhill 2 remains undated. It is unclear if the dated deposits from Killhill 1 represent primary activity or later token depositions, as the ringditch itself is not dated

It is clear from the excavation at Killhill 4 that the primary archaeological feature was the annular ringditch. No trace of a mound existed, and the ditch was quite shallow. There was no evidence of intensive ploughing which may have truncated the site so it is likely to have always been a very shallow ditch. The land use today is pasture. All of the subsequent activity on the site was located within the confines of the enclosed ringditch confirming the ditch as the primary feature.

Both cutting the ditch and in the interior of the feature there were six pits recorded, some of which contained deposits of cremated bone. Two of the pits contained pottery. In the first a complete pot was identified on its side and contained the cremated remains of three individuals, including a juvenile. The other pit contained the base of a pot. The presence of three individuals within the one pot is interesting and suggests possible familial links. It is clear from the analysis of the burnt bone that not all of each individual was placed within the pot based on the volume and weight of bone identified. This shows a selection of token deposits, which is typical for the late Bronze Age period (see section 3.2)

Small deposits of both cremated bone recovered from the fill of the ditch and in some of the smaller pits are being interpreted as token deposits, although they may also represent disturbed material from the main cremation. A further small amount of animal bone identified could also represent token deposits included with the human remains or provide some evidence of feasting or ceremonial activity. The re-use of ringditch and barrow sites with token cremated deposits is not unusual. Other examples of later re-cuts of barrow ditches can be seen at Cappydonnell Big 1 (Coughlan 2009) - where cremated bone and glass beads dated to the middle Iron Age were ritually deposited in a late Bronze Age barrow ditch – and at Holdenstown 1 (Whitty and Tobin 2009) which also showed possible evidence of feasting through the presence of animal remains.

Coarse domestic vessels, including many with evidence for previous use as cooking pots, form part of the funerary repertoire of the late Bronze Age. In addition to burnt internal accretions smoke staining on upper, external, surfaces occurs on a number of domestic vessels, such as pot 1 at Priestsnewtown. The practice of including just a few sherds with burials, which themselves often consist of a token amount of cremated bone, is a widespread feature of the period (Grogan and Roche, Appendix 2.1). The identification of the pottery remains in conjunction with the cremations is

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 16 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report regionally significant as it expands the distribution pattern in the mid Leinster region. Waddell (1998, 27) mentions sites where just one or two potsherds or fragmentary vessels have been left as depositions with cremated bone in pits (Laheen, Co Donegal or Corkragh Co Limerick). It is possible that the potsherds recovered from the pit burial that disturbed the primary burial were all that may have come from the primary burial initially, and were just reburied with the cinerary urn and the primary burial fill.

It is noticeable that the dating of the ringditch suggests that it is slightly later than the pit cremation in the centre of the site. This is obviously not the case as the ringditch is the primary feature on the site. It is likely therefore that the cremated bone dated from the ditch either represents a token deposit placed in the ringditch, or has been disturbed from another internal cremation pit.

Killhill 4 must be studied with regard to the other two funerary/ceremonial monuments excavated by the author in its vicinity (Killhill 1 and Killhill 2), as well as any future sites that may be revealed by archaeological monitoring. Killhill 1 contained several pits with token deposits of cremated bone, as well as deposits of cremated bone in a ditch that could almost be penannular, with an orientation to the east. There was no pottery found in any of the pits. Killhill 2 had a very uniform penannular ditch filled with a striking white marl, and an orientation to the east. It yielded no finds whatsoever. It is tempting to view these three monuments as indicative of different kinds of ceremonies that may represent different eras of devotional activity, different social strata performing devotional activity or even different reasons for the performance of the devotional activity.

4.2 Conclusions The site at Killhill 4 is important locally as it forms part of a cluster of sites at the base of Killhill which indicate a continuing funerary tradition from the Bronze Age through to the Iron Age. This tradition is centred on the nearby recorded monument KD020- 001. The Site is also of significance regionally as the presence of late Bronze Age domestic vessels within the cremation pits expands the distribution pattern in the mid Leinster region.

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5 BIBLIOGRAPHY

5.1 References

Bennett, I (ed). 1987-2007. Excavations: Summary Accounts of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland. Bray: Wordwell. www.excavations.ie

Bradley, J, Halpin, A, and King, K. 1994. Archaeological Urban Survey for Co Kildare Vol 2 and 3.Dublin: Office of Public Works.

Clarke, L. & Carlin, N. 2008 E3088 Ardsallagh 1 Final Report. Unpublished Final Report. National Monuments Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin.

Coughlan, T. 2009 The continuing enigma of Cappydonnell Big. Seanda 4, 42–44.

Connolly, E. and Coughlan, T. 2010 Killhill 1, 03E1570, Final Report. Unpublished Report for IAC Ltd. Bray.

Daly, A. and Grogan, E. 1993 Excavations of four barrows in Mitchelstowndown West, Knocklong, County Limerick. In (ed) Final Report, Discovery Programme Reports 1, 44–60. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin.

Deevy, M B. 1998. The Irish Heritage and Environment Directory. Bray: Wordwell.

Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. 1999a. Framework and Principles for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage. Dublin: Stationery Office.

Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. 1999b. Policy and Guidelines on Archaeological Excavation. Dublin: Stationery Office.

Dúchas – the Heritage Service. Sites and Monuments Record, County Kildare.

Environmental Protection Agency. 1995a. Draft Guidelines on the Information to be Contained in Environmental Impact Statements. Dublin: Stationery Office.

Environmental Protection Agency. 1995b. Advice Notes on Current Practice (in the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements). Dublin: Stationery Office.

Farrelly, J. and Keane, M. 2002 New barrow types identified in County Sligo. In Gowen, M and C. Tarbett 1988 A third season at Tankardstown, Archaeology Ireland 8, 156.

Geological Survey of Ireland. Aerial Photographs of County Kildare.

Gibbons, M. 2001 The archaeology of early settlement in county Kilkenny. In W. Nolan and K. Whelan (Eds.), Kilkenny: History and Society, Dublin: Geography Publications.

Gowen, M. & Co., 2001 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Section of N7 Rathcoole to Kildare County Boundary Environmental Impact Statement prepared by Halcrow Barry & Partners.

Gowen, M. and Tarbett, C. 1988 ‘Tankardstown South, Co. Limerick’, In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1987. Wordwell Ltd. Bray, 21.

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Grogan, E. & Kilfeather, A. 1997 Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow. Dublin.

Harbison, P. 1992. Guide to the National and Historic Monuments of Ireland. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.

Harbison, P. 1997. Ancient Irish Monuments. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.

Institute of Field Archaeologists. 1994a. Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Desk-based Assessments. Manchester: IFA.

Institute of Field Archaeologists. 1994b. Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Monitoring. Manchester: IFA.

Institute of Field Archaeologists. 1994c. Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Test Trenching. Manchester: IFA.

Lewis, S. 1847 A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. (modern reprint).

Macalister, R. 1996. The Archaeology of Ireland. London: Bracken Books.

National Museum of Ireland. Topographical Files, County Kildare.

Newman, C. 1997 Tara: An Archaeological Survey, Royal Irish Academy. Dublin.

O’Connor, E. 2006 A double ringditch at Raynestown, Co. Meath. Unpublished paper compiled for ACS Ltd.

O’Connor, K. D. 1998. The Archaeology of Medieval Rural Settlement in Ireland.

O’Neill, J. 2001 Cherrywood Science and Technology Park, Co. Dublin. (Licence Refs.: 98E0526, 99E0517, 99E0518, 99E0523). In Bennett, I. Excavations 1999, Summary account of archaeological excavations in Ireland. Wordwell. Bray.

Sherlock, W. 1896 Early Landowners in Kill, County Kildare. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society. Volume: II.

Timoney, M.A. (ed) 2002 A Celebration of Sligo, 97–101. Sligo Field Club, Sligo.

Waddell, J. 1998 The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland, Wordwell. Bray.

Whitty, Y. and Tobin, M. 2009 Rites in transition: the story told by Holdenstown 1 and 2. Seanda 4, 19–21.

Valerie J. Keeley Ltd. Archaeological Assessment. March 2001. Preferred Route N7 Naas Road Interchange Scheme, Co Kildare.

5.2 Other Sources Record of Monuments and Places (RMP), The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 7 Ely Place Upper, Dublin 2.

Topographical Files of the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

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Electronic references ENVision; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Soil maps of Ireland http://www.epa.ie/InternetMapViewer/mapviewer.aspx www.excavations.ie Bennet, I. 1987-2007. Excavations: Summary Accounts of Archaeological Excavations in Ireland.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd 20 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 1, 03E1570, Final Report

APPENDIX 1 CATALOGUE OF PRIMARY DATA

Appendix 1.1 Context Register

C Type Fill Filled by D W L Description Interpretation of C1 Deposit N/a N/a 0.40 N/a N/a Topsoil Topsoil C2 Deposit N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Subsoil Subsoil C3 Deposit N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Natural Subsoil C4 Cut N/a C5 0.26 1.43 19.80 Cut of ditch Ditch cut C5 Deposit C4 N/a 0.26 1.43 19.80 Fill of ditch Ditch Fill C6 Cut N/a C7 0.9 0.55 0.80 Cut of shallow pit, part of a possible trio in the centre of the area Pit Cut enclosed by the ditch. Oval in plan, 0.8m N/S, O.55m E/W. C7 Deposit C6 N/a 0.9 0.55 0.80 Fill of C6. Spongy silty clay, 90mm deep. Contained frequent small Pit Fill stones, no finds. C8 Cut N/a C9 0.33 1.11 1.47 Cut of pit. 1.47m long, 1.11m wide, 0.33m deep. Cuts natural (C3) Pit Cut and appears to truncate C10. Fill contained a bucket urn and cremation. C9 Deposit C8 N/a 0.33 1.11 1.47 Fill of C8, a pit. Mid brown grey silty clay. Contained a bucket-type Pit Fill urn, cremated bone, and moderate charcoal flecks, one large sub rounded stone, and occasional smaller sub-angular stones. The burnt bone was present throughout the fill; however, there was a noticeable concentration in the vicinity of the cremation urn. C10 Cut N/a C11 0.10 0.40 0.80 Cut of a pit, truncated by C8. 0.80m E/W and 0.15m deep. Sharp Pit Cut break of slope at top, on S and W, leading to steep sides. On N and E, break of slope at top is more gradual and sides gently taper to a rounded concave base. Cut is truncated at the SE by C8. C11 Deposit C10 N/a 0.15 0.40 0.80 Fill of pit C10. Mid brown silty clay. Contains inclusions of occasional Pit Fill charcoal, occasional burnt bone and occasional angular stones. C12 Cut N/a C13 0.16 0.60 0.64 Cut of shallow pit, 0.16m deep, 0.60m by 0.60m in plan. Sides of cut Pit Cut sloped gradually with an uneven base. Roots disturbed base and sides. Truncates C19 and C20 and C5, fill of ditch. C13 Deposit C12 N/a 0.16 0.60 0.64 Fill of C12, Charcoal rich silt, contained cremated bone and animal Pit Fill teeth. C14 Cut N/a C15 0.16 0.20 0.20 Cut of posthole. Steeply sloping sides at W extent and more gradual Posthole Cut slope at E extent, with a slightly concave base. Cut natural. C15 Deposit C14 N/a 0.16 0.20 0.20 Fill of posthole C14. Greyish brown silty clay of medium compaction Posthole Fill with occasional inclusions of charcoal flecks and small stones and very occasional small fragments of cremated bone as well as some quartz.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 i N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 1, 03E1570, Final Report

C Type Fill Filled by D W L Description Interpretation of C16 Deposit N/a N/a 0.07 0.27 0.55 Dark brown charcoal rich silty clay with inclusions of small charcoal Spread fragments and frequent burnt bone fragments. No evident cut, rather it mixed gradually into the surrounding contest, C9. The spread extended from the centre of the pit, where the cremation urn was half surrounded by it, up to the NW edge of C8, where it rose gradually up the side of the cut. C17 Cut N/a C18 0.28 0.52 0.53 Cut of pit. Circular pit with very steeply sloping edges leading to a flat Pit Cut base. Measured 0.53m in plan, 0.28m deep and 0.20m in diameter at the base. Possibly cut by ditch? C18 Deposit C17 N/a 0.28 0.52 0.53 Fill of pit, C17. Loose grey brown silty clay with moderate inclusions Pit Fill of charcoal flecks, small stones and occasional inclusions of cremated bone fragments and animal bone, unburnt. The fill contained stones that were flat, like slate, and some quartz. C19 Deposit N/a N/a 1.5 20.54 2.60 Spread/deposit of compact silty clay with a moderate amount of Spread charcoal flecking. Abutting C4/C5 to the W and NW. Shallow, less than 50mm in depth. Appeared to be confined to the NW quadrant. Probably a variation in the fill of the ditch. C20 Cut N/a C21 0.16 0.15 0.15 Cut of posthole. Circular in plan. Sides sloped sharply leading to a flat Posthole Cut base. 0.15m in diameter, 0.16m deep. C21 Deposit C20 N/a 0.16 0.15 0.15 Fill of C20. Loose greyish brown silty clay. Occasional inclusions of Posthole Fill charcoal flecks and small stones. Quartz found in fill. C22 Deposit N/a N/a 0.20 0.75 4.00 Dark brown to black spread of silty clay. Contained frequent charcoal Spread flecks and small stones and occasional larger stones. Appeared as a possible upper fill of C5 and also cut by pit C12/C13. appeared confined to NE quadrant. c. 0.20m in depth. C23 Not used C24 Cut N/a C25 0.26 0.23 0.23 Cut of posthole. Circular in plan with steep sides and a flat base. Posthole Cut 0.23m diameter, 0.26m deep. C25 Deposit C24 N/a 0.26 0.23 0.23 Fill of posthole, C24. Dark brown moderately compacted silty clay, Posthole Fill with inclusions of charcoal flecks, fragments of quartz and small to medium stones. C26 Cut N/a C27 0.29 0.46 0.46 Cut of circular pit with clear edges except where it met the ditch C4. Pit Cut Sharply sloping, becoming more moderate towards the base. The base of the pit was concave. C27 Deposit C26 N/a 0.29 0.46 0.46 Fill of pit, C25. Mid brown sandy silt with moderate inclusions of Pit Fill charcoal and burnt bone. Contained the fragmented remains of a pot as well as cremated bone fragments. There was a concentration of cremated bone fragments at the bottom of the fill and at the edges. The pot base was situated at the top of the fill. C28 Cut N/a C29 0.07 0.17 0.17 Cut of a circular pit with a moderate break of slope at the top, gradual Posthole Cut at the bottom with a concave base and gently sloping sides. The pit measured 0.19m in diameter and 70mm in depth. C29 Deposit C28 N/a 0.07 0.19 0.19 Fill of pit C28. Mid grey brown silt of a soft compaction, with Posthole Fill inclusions of charcoal flecks cremated bone and small stones.

ii Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 1, 03E1570, Final Report

C Type Fill Filled by D W L Description Interpretation of C30 Cut N/a C31 0.05 0.16 0.16 Cut of shallow posthole. Sub-circular in plan, with a gentle slope to Posthole Cut sides and a concave base. Diameter of 0.13m to 0.17m and depth of 50mm. C31 Deposit C30 N/a 0.05 0.13 0.17 Fill of C30. Grey-brown friable clay silt with inclusions of small Posthole Fill limestones and charcoal flecks.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 iii N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 1, 03E1570, Final Report

Appendix 1.2 Catalogue of Artefacts

Licence Number Context Item No. Simple Name Full Name Material Description No. of Parts 03E1573:9:1 C9 1 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Cremation urn lying on side 1 03E1573:9:2 C9 2 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:3 C9 3 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:4 C9 4 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:5 C9 5 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:6 C9 6 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:7 C9 7 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:8 C9 8 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:9:9 C9 9 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:16:1 C16 1 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:1 C27 1 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:2 C27 2 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:3 C27 3 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:4 C27 4 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:5 C27 5 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:6 C27 6 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:7 C27 7 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:8 C27 8 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:9 C27 9 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:10 C27 10 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:11 C27 11 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:12 C27 12 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:13 C27 13 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:14 C27 14 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:15 C27 15 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:16 C27 16 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:17 C27 17 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pot sherd 1 03E1573:27:18-117 C27 18-117 Pot Prehistoric Pottery Ceramic Pottery crumbs 100

iv Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Appendix 1.3 Archive Index

PROJECT: N7 NAAS ROAD WIDENING AND INTERCHANGES IRISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANCY LTD SCHEME SITE NAME: KILLHILL 4

LICENCE NUMBER: 03E1573

SITE DIRECTOR: ELIZABETH CONNOLLY

DATE: SEPTEMBER 2010

ITEMS (QUANTITY) COMMENTS

FIELD RECORDS

Site drawings (plans) 3 Site sections, profiles, elevations 9 Other plans, sketches, etc. 0 Timber drawings 0 Stone structural drawings 0

Site diary/note books 1 Site registers (folders) 6 Context Matrix 1 Survey/levels data (origin information) 50 +

Context sheets 30 Wood Sheets 0 Skeleton Sheets 0 Worked stone sheets 0

Digital photographs 31 Photographs (print) 0 Photographs (slide) 0

Finds 127 Bone Samples 1 Burnt Bone Samples 15 Slag Samples 0 Charcoal Samples 5

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 v N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Appendix 1.4 Sample Register

Sample No. Context Type 1 C18 Animal Bone 2 C18 Cremated Bone 4 C18 Quartz 5 C15 Soil 6 C16 Burnt Bone 7 C11 Cremated Bone 8 C5 Bone 9 C5 Burnt Bone 10 C5 Charcoal 11 C9 Burnt Bone 13 C9 Soil, Bone, and Charcoal 14 C13 Charcoal 15 C13 Cremated Bone 16 C5 Burnt Bone 17 C5 Cremated Bone 19 C29 Soil and Charcoal 21 C5 Cremated Bone 23 C27 Soil 24 C16 Soil 25 C5 Animal Bone 26 C16 Burnt Bone 27 C5 Animal Bone 28 C5 Burnt Bone 29 C5 Animal Bone 30 C9 Burnt Bone 31 C13 Animal Bone and teeth ? C13 Animal Teeth ? C9 Quartz ? C13 Burnt Bone

vi Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 1 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

APPENDIX 2 SPECIALIST REPORTS

Appendix 2.1 The Prehistoric Pottery – Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche

Appendix 2.2 Cremated Human Bone Report – Maeve Tobin

Appendix 2.3 Radiocarbon Dating Results – QUB Laboratory

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2 vii N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Appendix 2.1 Prehistoric Pottery Report – Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche

THE PREHISTORIC POTTERY FROM KILL HILL 4, CO. KILDARE (03E1573) Eoin Grogan and Helen Roche

Summary The site produced sherds from three late Bronze Age domestic vessels including a substantially intact pot lying on its side and associated with a cremation burial.

Context The pottery came from a complex of pits enclosed by a ringditch. One of these, C26, occurred just inside the ditch on the west side. The upper fill (27) contained part of a pot (No. 2) as well as fragments of cremated bone. There was a concentration of cremated bone fragments at the bottom of the fill and at the edges. The primary enclosed pit, C10, was later truncated by a larger pit C8: a single sherd came from the lower fill (16) while the secondary fill (9) contained a largely intact vessel (No. 1) lying on its side with cremated bone in the area immediately around it (Connolly 2005).

The late Bronze Age pottery Vessel 1 is a small well fired pot of quite fine fabric that originally had smooth inclusion-free surfaces (Fig. 1.1). The steep internal bevel and ledge are unusual features although similar profiles have been identified on vessels from Corbally (Silliot Hill), Co. Kildare, and Rathgall, Co. Wicklow (Purcell 1999; Roche 1999; forthcoming). The very distinct internal grooves on the base are without parallel (Pl. 1): they may be a result of compacting the clay of the unusually thin base rather than representing deliberate decoration. As the vessel was used for cooking, indicated by the burnt internal accretion (although this does not occur on the base itself), these may only have been visible before use. Separate disc-shaped bases onto which the walls of the pot were built occur, for example, on pots 2 and 4 from the enclosed cemetery at Priestsnewtown, Co. Wicklow (Grogan and Roche 2004).

Discussion Coarse domestic vessels, including many with evidence for previous use as cooking pots, form part of the funerary repertoire of the late Bronze Age. In addition to burnt internal accretions smoke staining on upper, external, surfaces occurs on a number of domestic vessels, such as pot 1 at Priestsnewtown. These domestic vessels can be deposited in inverted or upright positions although a small number were clearly placed on their sides (Grogan 2004): examples of this positioning occur at Carrowjames Tumulus 4, Co. Mayo, where a cremation burial was contained in a coarse vessel lying on the eastern perimeter (Raftery, J. 1940-41, 20, fig. 1), and at Knockast burial 1, Co. Westmeath (Hencken and Movius 1934). The practice of including just a few sherds with burials, which themselves often consist of a token amount of cremated bone, is a widespread feature of the period and the evidence from sites like Mitchelstowndown North and Shanaclogh, Co. Limerick, suggests that

i Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report this custom had started in the middle Bronze Age (Gowen 1988; Grogan 1988; 2004).

Until recently there has been comparatively little late Bronze Age activity recorded in the mid-Leinster region with the settlement evidence from Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin (Liversage 1968), and the secondary re-use of the wedge tomb chamber at Moylisha, Co. Wicklow (Ó h-Iceadha 1946, fig. 2) representing the only identified evidence. In the past few years further funerary sites have been identified including the enclosed cemetery at Priestsnewtown, the cemetery cairn at Carrig, and apparently single burials at Athgarrett and Corbally, Co. Kildare (Sleeman and Cleary 1987; Roche 1999), and Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin (Hagen 2004). There is settlement evidence from three sites at Kilgobbin (Hagen forthcoming 1; Dennehy forthcoming; Grogan 2004a; 2004b), Beaverstown (Hagen forthcoming 2; Grogan 2004c), Cherrywood/ Laughanstown (O’Donovan 1998), Flemington (Byrnes 2004), Skidoo (Dehaene 2004; Roche 2004a) and Lusk, Co. Dublin (Roche 2004b). To the south in Co. Wicklow this type of pottery has come from Ballynabarny (Gahan 2004), Charlesland, Greystones (Molloy forthcoming; Grogan 2004d; Roche and Grogan 2005), and Rathmore (McLoughlin 2004). It is evident that there was extensive activity on the lower fringes of the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains during this period with Kill Hill, Carrig, Corbally and Athgarrett representing settlement on the western side of the uplands (Fig. 2). At a wider regional scale late Bronze Age coarse ware comparable to that from Kill Hill has also been found on settlement sites such as the hillforts at Freestone Hill, Co. Kilkenny (Raftery 1969, 86-96), and Rathgall (Raftery 1976; 1995). Pottery of this type has been very securely dated at Rathgall, Haughey’s Fort, Co. Armagh (Mallory 1995), and Mooghaun South, Co. Clare (Grogan 2005), to between 1100 BC and 800 BC.

Fig 1. Comparative late Bronze Age domestic vessels. 1. Steelstown; 2. Priestsnewtown, Co. Wicklow (Grogan and Roche 2005); 3. Lough Gur, Co. Limerick, Circle L (Groganand Eogan 1987, fig. 51:V.35); 4. Carrig, Co. Wicklow (Grogan 1990).

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2 ii N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Pl. 1. Interior of Steelstown base.

Fig. 2. Distribution of sites with late Bronze Age pottery in the mid Leinster region.

References Byrnes, E. 2004 Flemington, Co. Dublin. Curvilinear ditch. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002, 160. Wordwell, Dublin.

Dehaene, G. 2004 Skidoo, Co. Dublin. Bronze Age. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002, 187-8. Wordwell, Dublin.

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Dennehy, E. forthcoming Excavations at ‘Belarmine’, Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2004. Wordwell, Dublin.

Connolly, E. 2005 Preliminary Report Kill Hill 4. N7 Naas Road-Widening Scheme. Unpublished Report for Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.

Gahan, A. 2004 Ballynabarny, Sites 8 and 9, Co. Wicklow. Prehistoric landscape. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002, 531- 2. Wordwell, Dublin.

Gowen, M. 1988 Three Irish Gas Pipelines: New Archaeological Evidence in Munster. Wordwell, Dublin.

Grogan, E. 1988 The pipeline sites and the prehistory of the Limerick area, in M. Gowen Three Irish Gas Pipelines: New Archaeological Evidence in Munster, 148-57, Wordwell, Dublin.

Grogan, E. 1990 Bronze Age Cemetery at Carrig, Co. Wicklow, Archaeology Ireland 16, 12-14.

Grogan, E. 2004 Middle Bronze Age burial traditions in Ireland. In H. Roche, E. Grogan, J. Bradley, J. Coles and B. Raftery (eds) From Megaliths to Metals. Essays in Honour of George Eogan, 61-71. Oxbow, Oxford.

Grogan, E. 2004a The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Grogan, E. 2004b The prehistoric pottery assemblage from ‘Belarmine’, Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Grogan 2004c The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Beaverstown, Co. Dublin. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Grogan 2004d The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Charlesland, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Sites 1B, J, K, R.M.P Area 5 and GC 1. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Grogan, E. 2005 The North Munster Project. Volume 1: the later prehistoric landscape of south-east Clare. Discovery Programme Monographs 6. Wordwell, Dublin.

Grogan, E. and Eogan, G. 1987 Lough Gur excavations by Seán P. Ó Ríordáin: further Neolithic and Beaker habitations on Knockadoon, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 87C, 299-506.

Grogan, E. and Roche, H. 2004 The prehistoric pottery from Site 6B, Priestsnewtown, Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Unpublished report for Judith Carroll and Co. Ltd.

Hagen, I. 2004 Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin. Bronze Age cremation burials. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002, 166. Wordwell, Dublin.

Hagen, I. forthcoming 1 Excavations at Kilgobbin, Co. Dublin.

Hagen, I. forthcoming 2 Excavations at Beaverstown, Co. Dublin.

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Hencken, H. O'Neill and Movius, H.L. 1934 The Cemetery Cairn at Knockast, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 41C, 232-84.

Liversage, G.D. 1968 Excavations at Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin, 1956-1959, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 66C, 53-233.

McLoughlin, C. 2004 Rathmore, Co. Wicklow. Prehistoric. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2002, 187-8. Wordwell, Dublin.

Mallory, J. 1995 Haughey’s Fort and the Navan Complex in the Late Bronze Age. In J. Waddell and E. Shee Twohig (eds) Ireland in the Bronze Age, 73-89. Stationery Office, Dublin.

O’Donovan, E. 1998 Cherrywood/Laughanstown, Co. Dublin. Prehistoric/post medieval. In I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 1997, 128. Wordwell, Dublin.

O h-Iceadha, G. 1946 The Moylisha Megalith, Co. Wicklow, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 76, 119- 28.

Purcell, A. 1999 Neolithic houses at Corbally, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Archaeology Ireland 47, 15.

Raftery, B. 1969 Freestone Hill, Co. Kilkenny: an Iron Age hillfort and Bronze Age cairn, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 68C, 1-108.

Raftery, B. 1976 Rathgall and Irish Hillfort Problems. In D. Harding (ed.) Hillforts: later prehistoric earthworks in Britain and Ireland, 339-357. Academic Press, London.

Raftery, B. 1995 The Conundrum of Irish Iron Age Pottery, 149-156. In B. Raftery (ed.) Sites and Sights of the Iron Age. Oxbow Monograph 56, Oxford.

Raftery, J. 1940-41 The Tumulus Cemetery of Carrowjames, Co. Mayo; Part II - Carrowjames II, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 19, 16- 85.

Roche, H. 1999 The Prehistoric Pottery Assemblage from Corbally, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare (97E449). Unpublished report for V.J. Keeley Ltd.

Roche, H. 2004a The Prehistoric Pottery Assemblage from Skidoo, Co. Dublin. Unpublished report . Roche, H. 2004b The Prehistoric Pottery Assemblage from Lusk, Co. Dublin. Unpublished report for Arch-Tech Ltd.

Roche, H. forthcoming The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Rathgall, Co. Wicklow.

Roche, H. and Grogan, E. 2005 The prehistoric pottery assemblage from Charlesland, Co. Wicklow. Durkin Sites C and D: Areas 1 and 4. Unpublished Report for Margaret Gowen and Co. Ltd.

Sleeman, M. and Cleary, R. 1987 Pottery from Athgarret, Co. Kildare. In R. Cleary, M. Hurley and E. Twohig (eds) Archaeological Excavations on the Cork-Dublin Gas Pipeline, 43-44. Cork Archaeological Studies 1, Cork.

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CATALOGUE The licence number 03E1573 is omitted throughout; only the context number followed by the find number is included. The thickness refers to an average dimension; where relevant a thickness range is indicated.

Vessel 1. This is an apparently complete1 coarse, bucket-shaped, flat bottomed domestic vessel (9.1-14). It has a rounded rim with a steeply sloped internal bevel and a sharply defined internal ledge up to 6.5mm wide. Externally there is a slight constriction around 25mm beneath the rim giving the vessel a slight but distinctive upright neck. The body profile is gently rounded narrowing more sharply towards the slight footed base. The base was made from an unusually thin (11.5-14.5mm) disc onto which the pot walls were built (Pl. 1). This has two very distinct circumferential grooves (13-15mm wide and up to 3.5mm deep) on the internal surface. The fabric is of good quality and well fired with a slightly uneven, worn cream-brown to orange- buff exterior; there is smoke staining on the upper portion of the vessel (Fig. 1); this may be as a result of steam escaping from under a lid during use of the pot for cooking. The internal surface is smooth and coated with a blackened accretion that extends over part of the internal bevel. There are two irregularly spaced vent holes (diameter 2mm) through the rim. Although the wear to the exterior, which appears to be mainly post-depositional, has exposed inclusions on the surface part of the very smooth original surface survives. This shows that the vessel had been finished with a fine slurry and had a smooth, even, inclusion free appearance when made. There is a moderate content of crushed dolerite inclusions (≤ 3.5mm, up to 5mm) with occasional uncrushed quartzite (≤ 3mm).

Maximum height: 21.9cm Maximum external rim diameter: 19.4 – 19.8 Maximum external diameter: 20.2cm Diameter of base: 18.8cm Body thickness: 10.5mm, occasionally as little as 9.8mm Total weight: 2,580g.

Vessel 2. This is represented by 17 sherds (1 possible base-angle sherd: 27.1; 1 possible base sherd: 27.2; 15 bodysherds: 27.3-17; crumbs (27. 18; g) from the lower portion of a vessel similar to, but of slightly coarse fabric than, No. 1. It has generally smooth, but uneven, buff to red-buff surfaces with sooting over part of the internal surface. The exterior was finished by smoothing over with thin slurry that masks the protruding inclusions. There is a darker, grey to dark grey core. There is a high content of crushed shale (Silurian?) inclusions (≤ 4, up to 6 x 4mm) with some crushed and uncrushed quartzite. Body thickness: 11-12mm. Total weight of sherds: 300g.

Vessel 3. This is represented by a single bodysherd (16.1) of smooth well-fired buff fabric with a medium content of crushed shale inclusions (up to 8.5 x 5mm) and smaller quantities of crushed and uncrushed quartzite and occasional flecks of mica. The exterior was finished by smoothing over with thin slurry that masks the protruding inclusions. Body thickness: 10.4mm.

1 The vessel had been substantially reconstructed prior to examination.

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Appendix 2.2 Human Cremated Bone Analysis – Maeve Tobin

OSTEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CREMATED HUMAN REMAINS FROM KILLHILL 4 (03E1573), CO. KILDARE

ON BEHALF OF KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL

MAEVE TOBIN MA MIAI

JULY 2010

vii Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2 N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Contents

1 Introduction 1.1 General 1.2 Methodology

2 Osteological Analysis 2.1 Context Description 2.2 Identification and Quantification of Cremated Bone 2.2.1 Urned Burial C8 2.2.2 Ringditch C4 2.2.3 Pit C10 2.2.3 Pit C12 2.2.4 Pit C17 2.3 Bone Fragmentation 2.4 Demographic Data 2.4.1 Age 2.4.2 Sex 2.5 Pathology 2.6 Efficiency of Cremation

3 Conclusion

4 References

Appendix 1: Inventory of Cremated Remains

Figures Figure 1 Breakdown of analysis results for C8 (C9 and C16) Figure 2 Number of identified permanent teeth by type (estimated)

Table Table 1 Context type and weight of bone deposits Table 2 Levels of identified bone and MNI by context Table 3 Identified bone per context Table 4 Levels of fragmentation by context

Plates Plate 1 Dentition from C9 – 2mm sieve Plate 2 Dentition from C9 – 5mm sieve Plate 3 Fragments from 10mm sieve, urned burial C9 Plate 4 Fragments from 5mm sieve, urned burial C9 Plate 5 Fragments from 2mm sieve, urned burial C9

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1 Introduction

1.1 General The following report details the osteological analysis of cremated human remains from Killhill 4, Co. Kildare, excavated in advance of the N7 Naas Road Widening Scheme. The analysis was undertaken by Maeve Tobin of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, on behalf of Kildare County Council.

Excavations at Killhill 4 (03E1573) revealed the remains of a possible cemetery mound or flat cemetery, enclosed by a ringditch with an internal diameter of c. 6.3m (Connolly 2005). The site produced sherds from three late Bronze Age domestic vessels including a substantially intact pot lying on its side associated with a cremation burial C8 (Grogan, 2006). A sample of cremated bone from this urned burial produced a 2 sigma radiocarbon date of Cal 1373−1057 BC (UB 13550). A sample of cremated human bone from the ringditch fill C5 produced a 2 sigma radiocarbon date of Cal 1127−935 BC (UB 13551) indicating a broad contemporaneity for the burials.

1.2 Methodology Prior to analysis the cremated bone samples were removed from the surrounding matrix as part of post-excavation processing. The cremated material was analysed according to the standards laid out in the guidelines recommended by the British Association of Biological Anthropologists and Osteologists in conjunction with the IFA (Guidelines to the Standards for Recording Human Remains, Brickley and McKinley (eds) 2004).

• All samples were sieved through laboratory-grade stack sieves of 2mm, 5mm and 10mm diameter mesh and the material from each sieve was weighed to the nearest 0.1g • Once sieved and weighed as complete samples the material was examined macroscopically. An attempt was made to identify the bone to five main skeletal elements, i.e. skull, trunk, upper limb, lower limb and unidentified long bone. Identified elements were weighed separately and described in detail. • Assessment of biological sex and age were attempted using morphological assessments of skeletal features as described in Bass (2000) and Buikstra & Ubelaker (1994).

2 Osteological analysis Osteological analysis was carried out to ascertain: • The type of deposit • Total weight of the bone • Identification and quantification of human bone • Degree of fragmentation • Demographic data • Pathology data • Efficiency of the cremation

2.1 Context Description A total of 1439.8g of cremated bone was presented for analysis from five features on site; a ringditch and four enclosed internal pits. The majority of this, 1351.4g, represents a single urned cremation deposit in pit C8 (fills C9 and C10). Although contained within a fragmented vessel the burial deposit appeared relatively complete. Pit C8 truncated pit C10 which also contained a small amount of cremated bone in the lower fill C11. The small quantity of bone retrieved from the ringditch fill C5 and

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pits C12 and C17 probably represent token deposits. Several other pits on site which contained no human remains may have functioned as cenotaphs.

Cut Fill Sample Weight of Total weight Context description Associated Vessel/ Cremated of Cremated deposits Bone Bone 9 0.4g 16 1.2g Unburnt animal bone C4 C5 19.5g Fill of Ringditch 21 2.1g and quartz deposits 28 15.8g Urn contents 1220g bucket-shaped, flat Fill of cremation burial in C9 1351.4g bottomed BA domestic 11+13 104.5g vessel vessel 30 26.9g C8 6 10.9g Lower fill of cremation One sherd of BA C16 55.4g 26 34.6g burial pit domestic vessel 32 9.9g C10 C11 7 0.9g 0.9g Fill pit truncated by C8 n/a 5g C12 C13 8.1g Fill of shallow pit Animal teeth 15 3.1g Unburnt animal bone C17 C18 2 4.5g 4.5g Fill of a pit and quartz deposits Table 1: Context type and weight of bone deposits

2.2 Identification and Quantification of Cremated Bone McKinley (1993) found that modern cremation processes resulted in the production of between 1227.4g and 3001.3g of bone. From this she inferred that the cremation of a whole body and deposition of the remains in an archaeological context would realistically produce between 1001.5g and 2422g of cremated human bone. The urned burial C8 produced the majority of the cremated remains on Killhill 4 totalling 1406.8g. Some of this bone (55.4g) was retrieved from beneath the burial vessel in a lower fill of the burial pit C16.

Four of the deposits, in three shallow pits and a ringditch, contained less than 20g of burnt bone. This may be explained as a token burial (i.e. after the cremation of the individual, a small quantity of the remains may have been selected for deposition in the pit). Alternatively, perhaps only certain portions of the corpse were cremated and these are represented by the proportionally small quantity of cremated bone (Collins and Lynch 2001, 494). It is possible that Killhill 4 may only be one of several sites used to bury remains from these cremations.

Identification of particular elements of the human skeleton confirms the presence of human material and also may give an insight into any particular areas of the body which may have been purposefully collected following cremation. Among the 14 samples from Killhill 4 it was only possible to positively identify 24.8% of the remains as human (Table 2).

Context: C5 C9 C16 C11 C13 C18 Total Weight of Cremated Bone: 19.5 1351.4g 55.4g 0.9g 8.1g 4.5g Total Weight of Identifiable Human Fragments: 2.22g 335.1g 15.79g 0g 0.7g 0.2g Minimum Number of Individuals: 1 2 2 - 1 1 Table 2: Levels of identified bone and MNI by context

The absence of certain elements may be due to several factors, including fragmentation during the cremation, post-depositional preservation conditions or due to their loss during the cremation itself.

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Elements from the four regions (skull, axial, upper limb and lower limb) of the human skeleton were only identified in the urned burial deposit C9 (Table 3) suggesting that there was no preferential collection of specific skeletal elements for deposition. Not surprisingly this was the sample that contained the largest quantity of burnt bone and also the larger sized fragments.

Context Skull Axial Upper Limb Lower Lime Total identifiable Long bone unidentified Total Weight

g 1.71 0.51 0 0 2.22 7.83 C5 19.5 % 8.8 2.6 0 0 11.4 40.2 g 233 26.8 43.6 31.7 335.1 155.8 C9 1351.4 % 22.7 2 3.2 2.3 24.8 11.5 g 7.22 1.71 6.86 0 15.79 12.39 C16 55.4 % 13 3.1 12.4 0 28.5 22.4 g 0 0 0 0 0 0 C11 0.9 % 0 0 0 0 0 0 g 0.7 0 0 0 0.7 1.8 C13 8.1 % 8.6 0 0 0 8.6 22.2 g 0 0.2 0 0 0.2 0 C18 4.5 % 0 4.4 0 0 4.4 0 Table 3: Identified bone per context

A total of 12.3% of the remains (177.8g) were identified as non specific long bone fragments. Although these are thought to be human it was not possible to specify which bone they derived from given the level of fragmentation and distortion. As such these weights were left out of the totals of identified material but are listed above for reference.

2.2.1 Urned Burial C8 Six samples of burnt bone were retrieved from the deposits surrounding the burial vessel, C9 (samples 11, 13 and 30) and C16 (samples 6, 26 and 32), however the majority of the remains were contained within the urn itself. The chart below (Figure 1) illustrates the combined percentages of each skeletal element identified in C9 and C16. A substantial proportion of the remains (c. 860g) could not be positively identified to element and this was attributed to the high levels of fragmentation. Approximately 73% of the burnt remains from these deposits measured less than 10mm (see Table 4 below).

17%

2% Skull Axial 4% Upper Limb 2% Lower Limb Non-specific long bone unidentifiable 63% 12%

Figure 1: Breakdown of analysis results for burial C8 (C9 and C16)

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The skull comprised the highest proportion of identified bone, mostly represented by the cranial vault and dentition. Brickley and McKinley (2004) note that the distinctive appearance of parts of the skull, even as small fragments, invariably leads to a bias in the amount of skull identified. Approximately 372 fragments of cranial vault were recorded some of which (due to thickness) were clearly adult. None of the sutures were fused indicating a young adult age range. Other fragments identified include the petrous portion of a right temporal (IAM), sections of the greater and lesser wings of the sphenoid and right maxilla.

Approximately 40 permanent teeth were identified (90 fragments), the majority of which (90%) were located within the urn. Although fragmented and partial identified teeth include c. 7 molars (at least 4 upper and 3 lower), 13 premolars, 4 canine and 11 incisors (5 upper and 8 lower). As such there are at least two sets of permanent dentition represented in deposit C9. Some deciduous dentition (11 fragments) was also noted within C9. At least 3 deciduous molars were noted, two of which appear to be maxillary, and a probable canine. The dentition within the burial C9 indicates a minimum number of individuals of three.

Plate 1: Dentition from C9 – 2mm sieve

Plate 2: Dentition from C9 – 5mm sieve

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Figure 2: Number of identified permanent teeth by type (estimated)

A large proportion of the cranial fragments were very thin (c. 2mm) and as such it is thought that these were the remains of a young child. Fragments of three deciduous molars, two of which are maxillary were identified from the urned deposit. The roots of these teeth appeared fully developed providing an age of at least 2 years. A partial right mandibular condyle was also noted, the size of which appeared to correspond with the suggested dental age (c. 2−4yrs).

Of the axial skeleton fragments of a juvenile C1 vertebra, rib shafts and unfused vertebral centrum were identified. In addition an adult rib fragment and partial dens from C2 and two fragments of neural arch were also identified.

Upper limb elements identified in C9 comprise shaft fragments from the humerus, ulna and radius, both adult and immature in development. A possible unfused proximal humeral epiphysis was noted as were the remains of several further unidentified unfused juvenile epiphyses. Fragments of the distal humerus and proximal radius (radial tuberosity) were also identified. These remains appeared slender and may be from an adolescent. Approximately 11 hand phalanges (middle and distal) were noted, 3 of which appeared to be juvenile. A single fragment of distal metacarpal was identified with the line of epiphyseal fusion still visible indicating an adolescent age.

Only 2% of the remains could be positively identified as from the lower limb. It is probable that a portion of the non-specific long bone fragments may be unidentified femur and tibia. Fragments of all three long bone shafts were identified while a juvenile proximal femoral epiphysis was also noted. Several fragments of femoral shaft were thought to be from a young child. Over 10 fragments of adult phalanges were noted, amongst which the first phalanx was present. A single tarsal (intermediate cuniform) and metatarsal shaft were identified. A juvenile illium (2 fragments – young child) and possible fragment of acetabulum (adolescent?) were also recorded.

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2.2.2 Ringditch C4 Four samples of burnt bone were retrieved from the deposit C5, samples 9, 16, 21 and 28. Only 11.4% of the bone from C5 could be positively attributed to a specific element, an additional 40% were however noted as non-specific long bone fragments. Cranial fragments and a permanent incisor root were recorded, as was a single fragment of proximal rib (R3-8).

2.2.3 Pit C10 Pit C10, truncated by Burial C8, produced one sample of burnt bone deposit C11 (Sample 7) measuring 0.9g. Although none of this bone was positively identified as human it is possible that the bone is disturbance from burial C8.

2.2.4 Pit C12 A total of 8.1g of burnt bone (sample 15) was retrieved from deposit C13. Two fragments of cranial vault were identified. This bone may represent a token burial or may represent the disturbed remains of burial C8.

2.2.5 Pit C17 A total of 4.5g of burnt bone (sample 2) was retrieved from deposit C18. A single rib fragment was identified. This bone may represent a token burial or may represent the disturbed remains of burial C8.

2.3 Bone Fragmentation It is essential to observe and record the level of bone fragmentation in the sample as this will impact on the quality of the overall data retrieved from the analysis. The level of fragmentation may also be an indicator of practices carried out during the cremation process and give and insight into pyre technology. Fragmentation of bone is assessed by sorting all bone fragments into three sieve fractions (10mm, 5mm and 2mm) and comparing the proportion of bone in each fraction (McKinley 2004). Measurement of the maximum bone fragment length is also recorded.

It is generally believed that both the excavation and post-excavation processes can lead to the largest amount of damage caused to the remains and as such it can be difficult to determine whether bone was deliberately fragmented during the cremation ritual.

>10mm % total 5-10mm % total 2-5mm % total <2mm % total Context weight (g) weight weight (g) weight weight (g) weight weight (g) weight C9 374.9 27.7 674.5 49.9 282 20.9 20.0 1.5 C16 13.6 24.5 31.4 56.7 10.4 18.8 0 0 C5 0 0 14.5 74.4 5 25.6 0 0 C11 0 0 0 0 0.9 100 0 0 C18 0 0 3.2 71.1 1.3 28.9 0 0 C13 0 0 5 61.7 3.1 38.3 0 0

Total 388.5 27.0 728.6 50.6 302.7 21.0 20 1.4 Table 4: Levels of fragmentation by context

With the exception of the urned burial C9 all of the other burnt bone deposits came from unprotected earth cut containers. As such it was anticipated that the level of fragmentation would be higher than that of an urned burial. A total of c. 4898 fragments were recorded from all six contexts of which 73% measured less than 10mm in size. Only one context (C9) produced fragments less than 2mm in size however this was probably due to the post-excavation processes.

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Although the maximum fragment size was 56mm, only a minute percentage of the bone present was similar in size. The vast majority of the bone, however, was rounded which indicated that the degree of bone fragmentation observed may have been present at the time of deposition. This may, therefore, have been the result of the cremation processed employed. Cremated bone seems to have been subject to an increasing degree of deliberate crushing from the Neolithic through to the Iron Age (Buckley and Buckley 1999, 28) therefore it seems fitting that these burials are dated to the middle and late Bronze Age.

Plate 3: Fragments from 10mm sieve, urned burial C9

Plate 4: Fragments from 5mm sieve, urned burial C9

Plate 5: Fragments from 2mm sieve, urned burial C9

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2.4 Demographic Data 2.4.1 Age Burial C8 (C9 and C16) produced remains from at least three individuals, an adolescent/ young adult, an adult and a young child (c. 2−4 years old). • Numerous thin fragments of cranial vault (2mm thick), 11 fragments of deciduous dentition (c. 5 erupted deciduous molars and c. 2 canines?), fragments of unfused epiphyses and diaphyses of humerus, radius and femur, fragment of C2 articular facet, unfused vertebral centra and fragments of illium are all suggestive of a young child aged c. 2-4years. It was not possible to take any measurements due to the fragmented nature of the remains. • The roots of at least 40 permanent teeth were present with some broken pieces of enamel. The crowns present do not display any significant attrition, possibly indicating an adolescent/ young adult age range; however they are not complete. Some skull fragments appear to be of adult thickness however none of the cranial sutures are fused. A single distal metacarpal fragment displays an epiphyseal line that has not completely fused. These epiphyses are thought to fuse between the ages of 14-16 years (Scheur and Black 2004, 311) therefore at least one of the older individuals appears to be in their late adolescence.

Context C5 produced a fully developed permanent incisor root and fragment of proximal rib which would suggest an adult age. Given the nature of the remains (no enamel present) it was not possible to be more specific.

Contexts C13 and C18 contained no elements that could be analysed macroscopically to ascertain the age of this individual.

No definite conclusions could be drawn from the evidence presented by context C11 as it was not possible to positively identify the remains as definitely human.

2.4.2 Sex The cremated remains (from all contexts) failed to produce any elements that could be assessed for indications of the sex of these individuals.

2.5 Pathology Data The form and nature of cremated bone (incomplete, fragmentary skeletal material) render the recording of data in the format required for the calculation of the prevalence of pathological conditions difficult. No pathological changes were observed in any of the contexts. This is mainly due to the small size of the fragments recovered from the deposits.

2.6 Efficiency of Cremation Oxidation of the organic component of bone is related to the temperature acting on the bone. This reflects the ‘efficiency’ of cremation in terms of such factors as the quantity of fuel used to build the pyre, temperature attained in various parts of the pyre, length of time over which the cremation was undertaken and the oxidising/reducing conditions in various parts of the pyre. The degree of oxidation is reflected macroscopically in the colour of the bone ranging from brown/orange (unburnt), to black (category ; c. 400°C), through hues of blue and grey (incompletely oxidised, up to c. 600°C) to the fully oxidised white (>c. 650°C) (Wahl 2008, 149). The colour may vary from bone to bone as different elements of the body may be exposed to different temperatures for different lengths of time. It is, therefore,

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essential to record any differences in colouration according to skeletal elements affected and to the aspect of the element (i.e. interior, exterior) affected.

The bone from all contexts appeared to have been exposed to a sufficient temperature (i.e. above 600°C) so as to completely oxidise the bone (Wahl category IV and V). Fragments from C9 showed limited amounts of blue-grey colouring along the inner surface of the skull however this is common in well oxidised remains. A single charred radius diaphysis was noted which was incongruent with the majority of the burial. This bone may have been from a previous cremation or it is possible that this bone was located at the periphery of the cremation process and as such was not subject to the highest temperatures.

Fissuring and transverse cracking was present on several of the elements contained in all contexts. This indicates that soft tissue was present on the bone when it was cremated.

3 Conclusions A total of 1439.8g of cremated bone was presented for analysis from five features on site; a ringditch and four enclosed internal pits. Bone from burial C9 and C5 returned late and middle/late Bronze Age dates respectively. The osteoarchaeological analysis of the cremated bone recovered revealed that five of the deposits contained definite human skeletal remains and the remaining deposit C11 contained insufficient material for firm conclusions to be drawn.

Although multiple individuals are not unusual in cremation deposits, it is not overly common to uncover the remains of three individuals.

The remains from Killhill 4 appear to be expertly cremated which would require temperatures in excess of 600ºC. Also the pattern of cracking and fissuring indicates that the remains were cremated while soft tissue was present.

A small amount of animal bone was noted in burial C9. It has been suggested that animals were placed on the pyre as an additional source of fat to increase efficiency of cremation and alternatively may have been a source of food for the afterlife.

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4 References Bass, W.M. 2005. Human Osteology: a laboratory and field manual (5th Edition). Missouri Archaeological Society.

Brickley, M. & McKinley, J. 2004. Guidelines to the Standards for Recording Human Remains. Reading, IFA Paper No. 7.

Buckley, L. and Buckley, V. 1999. Ashes to Ashes? The Archaeology of Cremation. Archaeology Ireland, 13 No. 4, 24−28.

Buikstra, J.E. & Ubelaker, D.H. (eds) 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series No. 44.

Collins, T. and Lynch, L. 2001. Prehistoric burial and ritual in southwest Ireland. Antiquity, 75, 493-494.

Connolly, E. 2005 Preliminary Report Kill Hill 4, Co. Kildare (03E1573). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd for Kildare County Council.

McKinley, J. 1993. Bone Fragment Size and Weights of Bone from Modern British Cremations and their Implications for the Interpretation of Archaeological Cremations. International Journal Osteoarchaeology, 3, 283−7.

Schmidt, C. and Symes, S. 2008. The Analysis of Burned Human Remains. Academic Press

Wahl, J. 2008. Investigations on Pre-Roman and Roman cremation remains from southwestern Germany: Results, potentialities and limits. In C Schmidt and S Symes (eds) The Analysis of Burned Human Remains, 145−161. Academic Press.

White, T. D. 2000. Human Osteology (2nd Edition). Academic Press.

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Appendix 1: Inventory of Cremated Remains

Fill Number: C9 C16 Cut Number C8 C8 Context Type: Fill of urned cremation burial Lower fill of cremation burial pit

Total Weight of Cremated Material: 1351.4g (24.8% identified) 55.4g (28.5% identified)

Quantification and Identification:

372 fragments of cranial vault- adult and juvenile; 90 frag. permanent dentition (roots and enamel); 11 17 frag cranium, very thin 2mm juv. , 2 tooth Skull fragments of deciduous dentition; 4 frag. temporal incl. petrous of R temporal (IAM); 2 frag. greater and roots incisors adult (7.22g) lesser wings of sphenoid; R maxilla; juvenile R mandibular condyle (233g) 10 frag. Juvenile vertebral centra, 1 frag. Juvenile C1; adult dens from C2, 6 frag of neural arch and Juvenile rib 2 frag., 2 frag. adult vertebral arch Axial pedicles (1 thoracic); 28 rib shaft frag. – adult and juvenile (26.8g) (1.71g) Frag. humerus, ulna and radius adult and juvenile; unfused prox. humeral epiphysis; frag. distal humerus, Upper Limb prox. Radius, lunate, c. 11 hand phalanges (middle and distal), 3 juvenile; 1 frag. distal metacarpal (43.6g) 2 frag ulna adult (6.86g) Prox. femoral epiphysis, 12 frag. femoral shaft (adult + juvenile); c. 10 frag. adult phalanges (inc. 1st Lower Limb phalanx); 1 frag. tarsal (intermediate cuniform); 1 metatarsal shaft; 2 frag. juvenile illium; 1 frag. of n/a acetabulum (31.7g) Non-specific Long bone c. 220 frag. (155.8g) 19 frag. (12.39g) NMI: 3 2 Age: adult, adolescent/adult and young child (2-4yrs) adult and juvenile Sex: Indeterminable Indeterminable Pathology: Not present Not present Max. Fragment size: 56mm 39mm Estimated No. Fragments: 4898 277 Level of Fragmentation: moderate-high (49.7% 5mm) high (56% 5mm)

Colour: mostly white/ blue-grey white

Wahl (2008) combustion Grade: III-IV V Animal Bone: Pig teeth and possible Sheep/goat radius shaft (AMC pers comm.) Pig tooth

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Fill Number: C5 C11 C13 C18 Cut Number C4 C10 C12 C17 Context Type: Ringditch pit truncated by C8 Fill of shallow pit Fill of a pit

Total Weight of Cremated Material: 4.5g 19.5g (11.4% identified) 0.9g 8.1g (8.6% identified)

Quantification and Identification:

Skull 3 frag. Skull, 1x tooth root (1.71g) n/a 2 frag. Cranium n/a

Axial n/a n/a 1 frag. Rib prox. rib thoracic (0.51g)

Upper Limb n/a n/a n/a n/a

Lower Limb n/a n/a n/a n/a

Non-specific Long bone n/a n/a n/a 11 frag. (7.83g) NMI: 1 n/a 1 1

Age: adult Indeterminable Indeterminable Indeterminable Sex: Indeterminable Indeterminable Indeterminable Indeterminable Pathology: Not present Not present Not present Not present Max. Fragment size: 23mm 9mm 15mm 14mm Estimated No. Fragments: 95 10 83 28 Level of Fragmentation: high (75% 5mm) very high (100% 2mm) very high (40% 2mm) very high (71% 5mm)

Colour: white white White with charred core white

Wahl (2008) combustion Grade: V V III V Animal Bone: no no no no

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Appendix 2.3 Radiocarbon Dating Results – QUB Laboratory

Radiocarbon Dating Results Chrono 14 Centre Queen’s University Belfast,

The “Measured radiocarbon age” is quoted in conventional years BP (before AD 1950). The error is expressed at the one-sigma level of confidence.

The “Calibrated date range” is equivalent to the probable calendrical age of the sample material and is expressed at the two-sigma (95.4% probability) level of confidence

Measured Sample Species Date 13C/12C Context Material Lab Lab Code Calibrated date ranges radiocarbon No id/ Weight Type Ratio ‰ age (BP) Burnt 2868±27 -33.4 C5, fill of a Long Bone AMS 1112-1002 BC(1 sigma), 16 Human QUB UBA13551 ringditch 2.1g (Std) 1127-935 BC (2 sigma) Bone Burnt 2980±36 -23.0 C9, fill of a Cranial AMS 1287-1130 BC(1 sigma), 11 + 13 Human QUB UBA13550 pit Vault 2.1g (Std) 1373-1057 BC (2 sigma) Bone

References for calibration datasets: PJ Reimer, MGL Baillie, E Bard, A Bayliss, JW Beck, PG Blackwell, C Bronk Ramsey, CE Buck, GS Burr, RL Edwards, M Friedrich, PM Grootes, TP Guilderson, I Hajdas, TJ Heaton, AG Hogg, KA Hughen, KF Kaiser, B Kromer, FG McCormac, SW Manning, RW Reimer, DA Richards, JR Southon, S Talamo, CSM Turney, J van der Plicht, CE Weyhenmeyer (2009) Radiocarbon 51:1111-1150.

Comments: * This standard deviation (error) includes a lab error multiplier. ** 1 sigma = square root of (sample std. dev.^2 + curve std. dev.^2) ** 2 sigma = 2 x square root of (sample std. dev.^2 + curve std. dev.^2) where ^2 = quantity squared. [ ] = calibrated range impinges on end of calibration data set 0* represents a "negative" age BP 1955* or 1960* denote influence of nuclear testing C-14 NOTE: Cal ages and ranges are rounded to the nearest year which may be too precise in many instances. Users are advised to round results to the nearest 10 yr for samples with standard deviation in the radiocarbon age greater than 50 yr.

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Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2

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Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 2

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APPENDIX 3 LIST OF RMP IN AREA

SMR No.: KD015:008 NGR: 29712/22488 Townland: Castlewarden North Parish: Oughterard Barony: South Salt Classification: House site Description: Marked on the Down Survey Map of 1650 and on later OS maps as Castlewarden House. An Foras Forbartha in Buildings of Architectural Interest in County Kildare describes it as ‘an early 19th century house on the site of an important 17th century house’. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD015:009 NGR: 29682/22506 Townland: Castlewarden North Parish: Oughterard Barony: South Salt Classification: Motte and Bailey Description: Killanin and Duignan state that this was built by Adam de Hereford. The remains comprise a central oval mound (27 m x 45 m) enclosed by two fosses with an intervening bank. The monument is at the centre of a complex of low earthworks including a possible bailey represented by a rectangular area enclosed by a bank with side fosses immediately E of the motte. Radiating from this is a field system enclosed by fosse. The monument is located in a low-lying situation on a slight rise with commanding views of the local area. It has been largely disturbed. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:006 NGR: 29150/22223 Townland: Kerdiffstown Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Church and Graveyard Description: Unusually located on the floor of a river valley close to a small river and at the foot of an esker ridge. Adjoining the completely overgrown nave and chancel church is an unenclosed graveyard. The graveyard contains memorials dating mainly to

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after 1700, but a 13th or 14th century grave slab was discovered here in September 1990. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:007 NGR: 29291/22274 Townland: Greenhills Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Ringfort Description: Circular ringfort (diameter 52 m) outlined by a bank surrounding a flat interior. There is no visible trace of a fosse but as the site is very overgrown, it is possible that one exists but that it is currently obscured. Entrance gap is at NE. Situated in reasonably well drained low-lying land. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:008 NGR: 29408/22285 Townland: Kill East, Kill West, Killhill Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Town Description: See historical background for details regarding Kill Village. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:010 NGR: 29456/22266 Townland: Killhill Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Enclosure Site Description: Irregularly shaped earthwork enclosure in the adjacent field to the E of Kill Motte. Marked on OS maps but there is no visible trace today. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:014 NGR: 29211/22158

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Townland: Palmerstown Parish: Johnstown Barony: Naas North Classification: Johnstown Church and Graveyard Description: The church is a simple rectangular structure aligned E-W, which has been well maintained and repaired on a number of occasions. The large E gothic window has recently been conserved and restored. A large pointed archway in the western gable is thought to have replaced a round-headed arch in the last 100 years or so. There is no visible evidence for an original entrance. The N and S walls stand approximately 1 m high and there is evidence for a second entrance in the northern wall. The church contains the grave of Richard Bourke, a 19th century Viceroy of India. The church is surrounded by a small graveyard more or less rectangular in shape but with slight irregularities. There is no indication of a circular enclosure. The date of the church is not recorded but a small mural tablet in the ruins bears the date 1878. The tablet also displayed the Alymer arms and an inscription indicating that Alymers had been buried here from AD 1300 until the end of the 18th century. The graves were disturbed and levelled in 1799 and in 1901, the tablet was reported missing. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:015 NGR: 27437/22142 Townland: Hartwell Upper Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Castle site Description: Farmyards incorporate large walls and enclose two large rectangles originally with arched entrances now gone. To the W there are foundations of large walls enclosing a third rectangle. At the NW corner this is the remains of a tower according to the owner. There is no visible trace of a tower now. Inside the complex, there is a long building known as ‘The Kitchen’ attached to which is a small chamber known as ‘The Potato House’. Both have barrel-vaulted ceilings and could be part of a late 15th or 16th century house. The OS Letters record that ‘in Upper Hartwell townland, there was an old castle, the remains of which were converted into a farmhouse’. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:018 NGR: 29117/22221 Townland: Kerdiffstown

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Parish: Kerdiffstown Barony: Naas North Classification: Mound site Description: No description on file Reference: No SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:021 NGR: 29043/22045 Townland: Maudlins Parish: Naas Barony: Naas North Classification: Graveyard site Description: Marked on Taylor’s Map of 1783 and on subsequent OS maps. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:044 NGR: 29329/22340 Townland: Kill West Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Mound site possible Description: Located in a very shallow ‘valley’ between two very low eminences. This ‘valley’ is shown on OS 6-inch map (sheet 19) as a narrow NW-SE field with a drain running through it. Surrounding land is well-drained pasture and tillage. The ‘mound’ is barely visible now. It was probed to a depth of 0.35 m and no stones were encountered. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD019:045 NGR: 29386/22316 Townland: Kill West Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Earthwork Description: A very low circular platform / enclosure (diameter 19 m; height c. 0.2 m) located in flat wettish pasture. Reference: SMR file

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 4 x N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

SMR No.: KD019:057 NGR: 29462/22248 Townland: Killhill Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Earthwork Description: Shown on OS maps as a semi-circular embankment and can be traced with difficulty on the ground as a slight rise. This could be one half of a destroyed ringfort (original diameter c. 70 m). Located on SW slope of a hill in well-drained pasture. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD020:001 NGR: 29506/22283 Townland: Killhill Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Enclosure Description: No description on file. Reference: No SMR file

SMR No.: KD020:002 NGR: 29528/22275 Townland: Killhill Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Enclosure Site Description: Barrow site. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD020:003 NGR: 29597/22255 Townland: Rathgorrah Parish: Kill Barony: South Salt Classification: Ringfort

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 4 xi N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Description: Located in open slightly undulating but generally flat ground with Kill Hill rising to the NW. Comprises a raised circular platform 42.5 m in diameter and 3 m high except at the SW where it meets a natural undulation. A fosse is visible from W-N-ESE and measures c. 4 m wide and 1 m deep at the N. Very overgrown and used as a dump for old cars and machinery. From W to N, traces of a possible bank are visible outside the fosse, though this may simply be part of an old field boundary. Marked as a ‘moat’ on the OS maps but is a possible platform rath. Reference: SMR file

SMR No.: KD020:018 NGR: 29586/22287 Townland: Kilwarden Parish: Kilteel Barony: South Salt Classification: Rock Scribing / Art Description: A fine example of rock art on a large boulder was discovered in August 1990 during field clearance works. It was located in an otherwise stone-free field on level ground and had formed part of a rough circle or arc of stones before removal. Although the possibility that the stones had formed the remains of a cairn was considered, it was concluded that the stones were unlikely to have been in their original position. Reference: SMR file

See Figure 2 for location.

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd Appendix 4 xii

N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 1 - Pre-ex of site from W

Plate 2 - SW facing section of ditch, C4/C5

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 3 - Detail of pot, find no. 03E1573: 1, C9 , from SW

Plate 4 - C9 , C10 and C16 after removal of find No. 1. From NE

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 5 - C17 and C18 . S-facing section

Plate 6 - C12 and C13 , N-facing section

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 7 - C26 and C27 prior to excavation showing base of pot (03E1573:4) at top of fill

Plate 8 - C28 and C29 , W-facing section

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 9 - C20 and C21 , E-facing section

Plate 10-Post-excavation, from W

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates N7 Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme Killhill 4, 03E1573, Final Report

Plate 11 Bronze Age Domestic vessel 03E1573:9:1−14

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Plates