The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon

Shane Delaney, Eileen Murphy

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract

In the summer of 2015, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a previously unrecorded ringfort in the townland of Ranelagh just north of Roscommon town. Over the year that followed, excavations revealed a site which began in the fourth century as a simple defended farmstead, but which expanded considerably and changed emphasis over the centuries in line with the requirements of its inhabitants. Through this period, and beyond, the enclosure also functioned as a burial ground for these people and their extended family. This latest entry in the TII Heritage Series—using a combination of traditional interpretative methods and the results of innovative scientific analysis techniques—tells not just the story of the Ranelagh site, but that of its inhabitants as a group, and as individuals. Techniques such as aDNA and isotopic analysis reveal details which more traditional methods could not hope to achieve on their own: from genetic backgrounds indicating far-reaching cultural ties, to the familial relationships between individuals interred in double burials.Rarely does a single site provide as comprehensive a picture of early medieval and medieval societal makeup. Details regarding subsistence and farming practices, personal health, pregnancy and childcare, the treatment of the old and infirm, community and immigration, artefact manufacture and light industry, and of personal loss and burial practice were all revealed. In short, the Ranelagh site provides no less than a perspective on the fundamental realities of life and death in Ireland at this time.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationDublin
PublisherTransport Infrastructure Ireland
Number of pages385
VolumeTII Heritage 13
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781911633358 , 9781911633365
ISBN (Print)978911633341
Publication statusPublished - 19 Dec 2022

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this