Description of a great sepulchral mound at Aylesbury-road, near Donnybrook, in the county of Dublin, containing human and animal remains, as well as some objects of antiquarian interest, referable to the tenth or eleventh centuries / by William Frazer.

Frazer, William

Date:: [1879]

Credit: Description of a great sepulchral mound at Aylesbury-road, near Donnybrook, in the county of Dublin, containing human and animal remains, as well as some objects of antiquarian interest, referable to the tenth or eleventh centuries / by William Frazer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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$S'- \7 Frazer—On a Great Sepulchral Mound. 29 XI.—Description of a great Sepulchral Mound at ArLESBURv- ROAD, NEAR DoNNVBROOK, IN THE CoUNTT OF DuBLIN, CONTAINING Human and Anmal Hemains, as well as some Objects of Antiquarian Interest, referable to the Tenth or Eleventh Centuries. By William Frazer, F.E.C.S.I., M.E.I.A. (With Woodcuts.) [Read, November 10th, 1879.] In placing upon record the strange and unexpected discovery of a great quantity of human remains obtained at Donnybrook, near the city of Dublin, I intend to give a simple relation of the circumstances under which they were found, and to describe in as full a manner as I am able all the attendant features of importance, and to leave conjectares about the cause of their accumulation, and theories ■ regarding the special period in Irish history when it took place, for matters of secondaiy consideration, open to discussion hereafter, as subjects on which differences of opinion might be entertained. Hor do I purpose to treat of the special ethnology of this find, except in brief detail, as it would deserve a distinct investigation—contenting myself with mere sketches of the leading points that were ascertained about the characters of the skuEs and other bones. The first intimation that reached me of this vast charnel heap was on the 3rd day of October, 1879, but no idea was then entertained of the great quantities of bones that were afterwards disinterred, or rather unearthed, for they were all found lying on the surface of the original soil, covered with a mere superficial layer of clay, not con- tained in graves, pits, or excavated cavities. I owe the information to my friend Mr. Thomas Wardrop, for which I feel much his debtor, a.s also for the liberal access he gave me to the locality itself, and for placing his workmen at my disposal when I required them to assist my researches by excavations. Mr. Wardrop had purchased the ground at Aylesbury-road to erect some houses, and he stated that, in digging up the field at the rere of his new houses, his workmen had procured Kveral human bones; amongst them was a perfect skuU of large size, • that tad the mark of a sword-cut upon its forehead, and they had tound with them a spear-head of iron and an iron sword, all of which ” L for me, and he invited me to examine the place where these were got. I visited the locaHty that evening, mifde a ■searching mquiry into every circumstance connected with the dis- covery of the bones, and got possession of the skull; of a sword, which was at once recognised as belonging to the Scandinavian typo of ■weapon, being broad and double-edged, with iron hilt and pommel- anti 1 also obtamed the iron spear-head, which was likewise of un- Uoubted ocandmavian origin. The workmen during that day had unearthed additional human$