Midden

The National Monuments Service's description

In an expanse of undulating grass-covered sand dunes which lie to W of Bunduff Strand, 300m S of Mullaghmore village. Bunduff Lough is 1km to SE.
The midden is located on a gentle E-facing slope on the W side of a roughly oval, wind-eroded hollow (c. 30-35m N−S; c. 25m E−W) enclosed by higher ridges of sand. It is evident as a concentration (c. 6m N−S; c. 4m E−W) of sea shells exposed on the eroding sand surface. The midden has no depth, consisting merely of a thin surface spread, becoming increasingly thin and diffuse towards its outer limits.
A higher density of shells occurs roughly in the centre of the spread, covering an area of c. 2m N−S by 2m E−W, and here the shells are mingled with a dark coloured soil and charcoal fragments. A few small stones, some with a heat-shattered appearance, protrude from amongst the shells.
Periwinkles are the most numerous shell type, followed by limpets. Lesser quantities of mussels and scallops are evident. The majority of periwinkles and many limpets survive intact; all the mussels are fragmentary. Overall there is a high frequency of fragmentary shells. Occasional small fragments of bone (L 2-4 cm) are visible amongst the shells; these are too fragmentary to allow identification, but at least one piece appears to have some from a cow-sized animal, and a single sheep tooth was noted.
There is another midden (SL002-059002-) 20m to E on the E side of the same dune hollow.

Notified to NMS by Aoife Heguarty

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 18 December 2020