Aegis Archaeology - Excavations at Kilbane

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Kilbane

Excavations at Kilbane

Kilbane, Castletroy, Co. Limerick

Plate 1; Pit cut from E.

A number of archaeological features were uncovered during the monitoring of topsoil stripping for a housing development at Kilbane, Castletroy, Co. Limerick (Fields 1-3). The development was partially located within the zones of potential for recorded monuments LI005-03401 a Holy Well and LI005-03402 a possible burial ground.

Plate 2; Pottery from pit C8

A number of circular pits were noted during the monitoring and these were excavated by AEGIS Archaeology Limited under an archaeological licence. In field 1 sherds of funerary ware were recovered from two of the pits. There appeared to be at least two types of pottery recovered from the larger of these two pits and this feature also contained cremated bone. The second pit (plate 1) found also to contain two types of pottery, did not contain any surviving cremated bone. In total four of the pits uncovered at Kilbane were found to contain fragments of cremated bone. On the basis of the pottery type uncovered and the morphology of the pit burials, it is reasonable to assign this cemetery to the Early Bronze Age.

Plate 3; Pottery from pit C5

Stripping in field 3 revealed four areas containing varying quantities of archaeological features. Cremated bone and in some cases pottery fragments were present in six of the excavated pits. Of these six pits, pottery was recovered from two pits. Two further pits revealed pottery fragments but no cremated bone. One of the pits contained evidence for in situ burning and may have been the area where cremation occurred before the remains were interred in the burial pits.