Archaeologists have identified four skeletons at the site of a former pub, which is believed to be a mass burial pit where they met a tragic end.
In October 2021, former pub Nancy Spain’s in Cork was taken over by the city council and was in the process of being demolished to make way for apartments when builders discovered skeletal remains.
Further investigations have now led to six bodies being found in total.
Cork City Council said these latest discoveries provide great insight into the turbulent history and evolution of the city across two different periods of time.
Cork Beo reports that ongoing post-excavation work will provide greater clarity and accuracy on the burial date of the revealed individuals.
The discovery of skeletal remains last October under the floorboards of the pub led to a post-mortem investigation before they were declared as archaeological finds.
Following the attendance of relevant authorities and discussions with the City Coroner and State Pathologist, all parties were satisfied that the revealed remains were historical in nature.
Archaeological excavation of the area took place in October 2021 and was directed by David Murphy of John Cronin and Associates, with the assistance of osteo-archaeologist Niamh Daly.
The excavation initially uncovered the partial and heavily fragmented skeletal remains of two individuals directly underlying a rubble layer near the party wall with No. 49 Barrack Street, according to Mirror Online.
As the excavation progressed, a shallow mass burial pit containing the fully intact and articulated skeletal remains of a further four bodies was revealed close to the initial discoveries, buried in a ‘head to toe’ manner.
Osteo-archaeologist for the project Niamh Daly said the placement of the bodies in the burial pit indicated they “were not treated in a respectful manner.”
She added: “It was evident that all four individuals were buried in a manner which suggests that the hands/wrists were bound behind the backs, and it is likely that the feet/ankles were also bound.”
Post-excavation work is ongoing, but laboratory analysis by Ms Daly has revealed that all six individuals were male, with three of the four males aged between 18 and 25.
The estimated sex, age, and nature, and position of burial point to a military connection for the revealed remains.
The period of death indicated by the radiocarbon dating was a turbulent and violent time in Irish history, with Munster and Cork the focus of several significant historical events.
Speaking in relation to the discovery, director of the archaeological excavation Mr Murphy said: “The Barrack Street ditch discovery raises new questions on the extent of the late 11th / early 12th century Hiberno-Scandinavian settlement in Cork.”
Ms Daly said that based on the nature of the burial positions within the shallow graves, the four bodies met “a violent and gruesome end.”
City Archaeologist Ciara Brett paid tribute to David Murphy for his direction of the site excavation, adding that the new discovery of a ditch feature was “a highly significant archaeological discovery for the city of Cork.
“The results of the radiocarbon dating would appear to suggest an association with the Hiberno-Scandinavian settlement, which has been proven through archaeological research, to have developed in the South Main Street area and the southern end of Barrack Street” she concluded.
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