Cremation pit, Templerainy, Co. Wicklow

Co. Wicklow |

Burial Sites

Cremation pit, Templerainy, Co. Wicklow

A construction project intended to ease traffic around Arklow turned out to disturb something far older.

During excavations carried out as part of the Arklow bypass road scheme, archaeologist Brendán Ó Riordáin uncovered a burial pit at Templerainy containing the remains of cremated human bones. The find was catalogued as Site K, one of several pits identified in close proximity to one another in this part of County Wicklow.

What makes the site particularly compelling is its context. The adjacent burial pits, recorded nearby, yielded Beaker and Bronze Age pottery, placing this cluster of interments within a broad span of prehistoric activity. Beaker pottery, named for its distinctive vessel shape and associated with a period of significant cultural change across Atlantic Europe from roughly 2500 BCE onwards, often appears alongside burial practices of this era, suggesting these pits formed part of a deliberate funerary landscape rather than isolated events. Cremation was a common practice throughout the Bronze Age in Ireland, and finding the burnt remains of a person alongside evidence of Beaker-period activity hints at a community that returned to this ground across generations. Ó Riordáin's excavation report, published in 1999, documents the findings from what was clearly a site of considerable prehistoric significance, brought to light only because a modern road needed to be built.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Cremation pit, Templerainy, Co. Wicklow. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement