1,000-year-old burial ground unearthed in Dublin during hotel excavations

A 1,000-year-old burial ground has been discovered during excavations for a new hotel in Dublin, UK, and more than 100 medieval skeletal remains have been found on the site of the former 12th-century St Mary's Abbey, said in the report.

According to the conclusion, the remains of these skeletons could come from the first half of the 11th century.

The excavation was requested by Beannchor, which is building the Bullitt Dublin Hotel there. One of the newly discovered burials has been carbon-dated to be 100 years older, proving that there was a Christian population in the area before St Mary's Abbey was built. In addition, archaeological work on the site of Boland's Bakery, Dublin's largest bakery in the late 1800s, has also uncovered the foundations of buildings dating back to the 1600s.

The remains of the residential structure of the "Dutch Billies" were uncovered. It was built in 1700 by immigrants who landed in Dublin when William of Orange ascended the throne of Scotland, Ireland, and England in 1689.

The structures uncovered during the site assessment will be incorporated into the design of the new hotel complex. The skeletal remains will be "removed, cleaned, and submitted" for further examination before being taken to Britain's National Monuments Service.

Archaeologists have also unearthed the foundations of the 1667-era Presbyterian Meeting House, which will serve as the foundation for the hotel's brand-new bar and restaurant, due to open in 2025. According to the reports, Boland's bakery will be "renovated and repurposed" in the meantime.

“One of the things that was interesting and exciting about the dig is that we found an early burial, or at least several burials that we believe are quite early. We have one carbon dated to the 11th century and we have a second burial that was found using a diagnostic pin from the 11th century,” said Director of Excavations for Courtney Derry Heritage Consultancy, Edmond O'Donovan, speaking of the significance. discovery.