INTRODUCTION In the summer of 2005, human skeletons were uncovered during localised quarrying works on farmland in Kildimo townland, Co. Limerick (OSI coordinates 544955/651087; Pl. 1). There was no previously recorded archaeological monument on the site. Human skeletal remains had, however, been uncovered intermittently at the location through agricultural practices in the latter part of the twentieth century (the site has subsequently been allocated an RMP number:‘LI012-144, burial ground’).Works were stopped and An Garda Síochána in Askeaton was contacted. One of the writers (LGL, then of Ægis Archaeology Ltd), an osteoarchaeologist, was asked to attend on-site in order to determine the antiquity of the remains.The possible modern forensic nature of the discovery was deemed minimal from the outset, as the skeletal remains of two individuals had been uncovered here during similar works approximately 30 years previously, according to the landowner. Those bones had been reburied in the local cemetery in Kildimo. During the initial site visit in 2005 the remains of two in situ skeletons were identified, as well as two other grave-cuts. A small quantity of disarticulated human remains were also scattered around the area of the quarrying. It was apparent that the skeletal remains uncovered in 2005, considered in conjunction with the information about the skeletal remains recovered 30 years before, represented burials from an unrecorded burial ground and were therefore of archaeological interest. Following this determination, the two exposed skeletons were excavated and the exposed archaeological features were recorded under licence number 05E0880. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government provided funding for the project. SITE LOCATION The site is in the townland of Kildimo, in the parish of the same name, and in the barony of Kenry, c. 1km to the south-west of the village of Old Kildimo, Co. Limerick. It was situated on elevated ground in the northern corner of a well-drained pasture field, which sloped down towards the south and west. Sand and gravel from the quarry were used in the construction of a trackway through fields to the west. Parts of the quarry had been backfilled with construction rubble and agricultural debris (Fig. 1). The burials were in the vicinity of a number of The Journal of Irish Archaeology Volume XX, 2011 65–76 Early medieval human burials and insect remains from Kildimo, Co. Limerick Linda G. Lynch and Eileen Reilly Human skeletal remains were uncovered during localised quarrying works on farmland in Kildimo, Co. Limerick, in the summer of 2005. Subsequent archaeological work entailed the complete excavation of two skeletons, the recovery of disarticulated bones, the recording of two other truncated graves and an overall site plan.The two excavated skeletons were a double burial of a 12–14-year-old possible female and a 6–9-year-old child.The two truncated graves contained the remains of a possible adult and another young child. The remains of two other adults were identified in the disarticulated bones. The site represents a previously unrecorded cemetery. An early medieval radiocarbon date was obtained for burial 1 (young adolescent female). Insect remains were visible in the abdominal areas of the double burial and this soil was sampled.They were discovered to be the remarkably well-preserved disarticulated remains of blowflies, who generally feed on fresh cadavers of humans and animals, as well as on other decomposed animal products and excrement.The presence of these fly remains on the two young bodies would indicate that they were exposed for some time above ground before burial.The bodies were buried to a depth of 0.5m and blowflies rarely burrow to that depth, nor do they generally feed on already decaying corpses. They can, however, complete their life cycle below ground, so the bodies may have been buried while the flies were in their pupal stage, where they later hatched out and died in situ.The reason why the burial of these two individuals was delayed until decomposition set in is open to speculation. In addition, there are indications that these early medieval burials may be Christian in origin, and may be linked with an Early Christian site, perhaps associated with St Díoma, for whom the townland is named.The extremely unusual finding of the insects greatly increases our understanding of the pre-burial history of the skeletal remains and highlights the value of integrated specialist approaches to archaeological excavation.