Bad To The Bone

The recent temporary halt to the Gorteen Way development of 89 houses on Delgany’s Bellevue Hill proves that history is all around us here.

To the point that, sometimes, it’s right under our feet.

Four pit burials were discovered at the field around the once-proud Gorteen House, putting a temporary stop to the preparation of the land for Delgany’s latest housing estate.

Exactly what did they find…? Well, we got in touch with Wicklow County Council to find out…

A cremation burial site comprising four pit burials in a linear east-west alignment measuring 6m by 2m was identified in the north-east comer of the field. An area 10m by 10m was opened up around the features in order to establish the nature and extent of the archaeology. There was no trace of any associated features or of any caim/mound which covered the burials.

Preliminary analysis indicates that these features date to the Bronze Age period in which a wide variety of burial practices were used (2500-500 BC). The archaeology is confined to an area measuring 6m east to west by 2m north to south. No other finds or features of archaeological significance were exposed in any of the other test trenches excavated. The variety of burial practices during the Bronze Age is summarised in the following paragraphs.

In the early Bronze Age human remains were placed either un-burnt and in a crouched position [see example below] or cremated and placed in a small cist (2500-1500 BC). In the latter part of the Early Bronze Age, by 1800 BC, the dominant rite was cremation in cists which were placed with Food Vessels.

Cremation was the dominant burial rite in the Later Bronze Age/lron Age burial tradition and preliminary analysis indicates that the cremations at Delgany date to this period (c. 2400 BC – AD 400). The cremated remains were deposited in shallow pits without a pottery vessel, although they may have been wrapped in perishable materials. These burials were generally covered by an artificial mound of earth or earth and stone, normally constructed to contain or conceal the burials. Post-excavation analysis and C14 dating will enable the burials to be dated with certainty.

The cremation burials are within the footprint of an access road. It will not be possible to preserve in situ the archaeological features and therefore preservation by record – i.e. full excavation – is required. This mitigation will include all associated post-excavation analysis, reporting, archiving and dissemination.

A method statement detailing the full excavation strategy will be submitted to the National Monuments Service and the excavation will be carried out under the existing licence 18E0608.

You can check out Wicklow County Council’s full report on the excavation here, and you can explore the history of Gorteen House right here.