Burial ground

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in sand dunes which border a small rounded inlet off Broad Haven Bay, on the NE coastline of the Mullet peninsula. The burial ground overlies an early medieval habitation site (MA010-004----).
The burial ground was excavated (92E0108) in 1992 following severe erosion which exposed human bones, shells and burnt organic material (Zajac 1994 & 2004). Prior to excavation, a low, grass-covered sandy rise (c. 7m N-S; c. 10m E-W; H c. 1m) was apparent, truncated by erosion along its N edge. The excavation uncovered seven grave plots marked by low rectangular heaps of beach cobbles and delimited by fragments of schist and flat stones. Some of the plots were also marked by small upright, uninscribed stones. Beneath the covering stones, the graves contained extended human burials. The alignment varied, some burials were placed with the head at E, others at W or NW. Three of the graves produced fragments of wood and iron nails indicating the use of wooden coffins. One coffin contained a double burial of two skeletons. Clothing fibre and brass buttons were also recovered.
Analysis of the bones from the excavated graves determined that the remains were from two adult males, two adult females, a child of 9-10 years and two infants (Zajac, 1994). Other unstratified bones, which had been displaced by erosion, may belong to additional individuals. The bones indicated a high mortality rate: the oldest adult was 40-50 years old and the others died in their thirties. Signs of nutritional deficiencies, infection and degenerative joint disease were also evident in the bones. The stratigraphic evidence indicates that the burial ground had cut into, and was considerably later than, the underlying habitation site (MA010-004----). The evidence of wooden coffins and brass buttons, and a radiocarbon date of 123 BP +/-34, combine to indicate that the burials fall within the period of the late 17th-century to early 20th-century (Zajac 1994, 147-148). The excavation concentrated on an area disturbed by severe erosion but it is likely that the burial ground extends beyond this area.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 21 September 2021

References

Zajac, S. 2004 Excavation on habitation and burial site at Pollacuppal townland, Belmullet, Co. Mayo. Cathair na Mart, Journal of the Westport Hististorical Society 24, 139-149

Zajac, S. 1994 Excavation report on Habitation and burial site at Pollacappul, Belmullet, Co Mayo (E108). License no. 92E0108. Unpublished excavation report submitted to NMS.