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 the E 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 thin surface scatter (c. 7m N−S; c. 5m E−W) of sea shells exposed on the eroding sand surface. A slightly higher density of shells covers an area of c. 1m N−S by c. 1.5m E−W in the N half of the spread, where a small deposit of dark coloured soil is mingled with the shells, and there are occasional tiny charcoal fragments.
Limpets and periwinkles are the most numerous shell type; scallop shells are also present. Many periwinkles shells survive intact, but the majority of shells are in a highly fragmented state. There are occasional small fragments of bone (L 2-4 cm), too fragmentary to allow identification, and a single sheep tooth was noted.
A small cluster of large limpets was evident on the slope c. 1m to E and upslope from the main body of the midden. Towards the S limits of the midden a single large rectangular block of sandstone (L 0.35m; Wth 0.15m; H 0.18m) rests on the sand surface. One end is broken. There is a reddish stain/colour on one side which may be heat-induced.
There is another midden (SL002-059001-) 20m to W on the W slope of the same dune hollow.

Notified to NMS by Aoife Heguarty

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 18 December 2020