The area has yielded extensive midden deposits; essentially prehistoric rubbish heaps containing the detritus of daily life. First documented by antiquarians like Knowles in 1901 and later by researchers including Brunicardi and McGill, these middens tell the story of communities who once called this coastal landscape home. Recent surveys have revealed scatters of animal bones, industrial slag, and fire-cracked stones, suggesting this was a place where people not only lived but also worked, perhaps processing metals or preparing food over open fires.

The Naran sand hills have also given up more solemn secrets. Several burial cists containing extended corpses have been discovered in the dunes, first reported by Knowles and McNulty in the late 19th century. These graves, with bodies laid out at full length rather than in a crouched position, offer tantalising glimpses into the burial practices of Donegal's ancient inhabitants. The combination of domestic waste and formal burials suggests this wasn't merely a temporary campsite but a place of sustained occupation where multiple generations lived, worked, and were laid to rest.

These archaeological remains at Clooney form part of County Donegal's rich tapestry of field monuments, documented in the comprehensive Archaeological Survey compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. The survey, which catalogues sites from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, continues to be updated as new discoveries emerge from beneath the shifting sands, each find adding another piece to our understanding of how people adapted to and thrived in this Atlantic edge landscape over millennia.