Human remains found in Dublin could be Vikings

Archaeological experts believe human remains of at least four people found during digging for a new Luas line in Dublin could date back to the Vikings.

Last month, during Luas cross city works on College Green, the remains of one person were found 1.5m below the ground just north of the gates of Trinity College.

Rubicon Heritage Services, the monitoring archaeologists on the project, said that individual was “situated below the known level of post-medieval activity suggesting the remains are most likely medieval or earlier in date”.

Over the following days, the partial remains of at least four more people were uncovered in the trench and were archaeologically excavated. Following a visual assessment, Rubicon’s human remains specialist, Carmelita Troy, has confirmed that one of the skeletons is that of an adult man, while one of the others is a “sub-adult” — aged under 18 years at the time of their death.

Rubicon’s site director, Nikolah Gilligan, who led the excavation, said all bar one of the individuals were positioned in north-south orientated grave cuts, “apparently with no grave goods present”.

“It is too early to confirm the date of the human remains, though the possibility that they are Viking cannot be discounted, given previously recorded Viking activity in the area,” she said.

The project archaeologists from the Railway Procurement Agency will oversee detailed environmental and osteoarchaeological analysis of the remains to be undertaken by Rubicon Heritage Services.

“This will reveal significantly more information about the lives and deaths of these individuals and the city in which they lived,” a spokesman said.

All pics: Copyright - Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd. Used with permission.