Cist, Lederg, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Burial Sites

Cist, Lederg, Co. Donegal

On the sandy ground rising from Portbane Strand in Lederg, County Donegal, archaeologists documented an intriguing Bronze Age burial site in 1976.

The main feature was a stone cist measuring 2 metres by 0.5 metres, constructed from seven stones arranged in two parallel lines; three stones on the eastern side and four on the western. When discovered, the stones protruded through the shifting sand, with two additional capstones lying nearby, though no end stones were visible. The cist itself was filled with sand, and fragments of human bone had reportedly been found at the site on previous occasions.

What makes this site particularly interesting is that it wasn't alone; a second cist was noted just a few metres to the north, suggesting this area may have served as a small burial ground for the local Bronze Age community. Unfortunately, neither of these ancient stone graves could be relocated during more recent surveys, likely victims of the constant sand movement that characterises this coastal location. The shifting dunes that both revealed and concealed these archaeological features are a reminder of how dynamic these landscapes can be.

The original archaeological notes for this site come from Brian Lacey's unpublished research and were later incorporated into the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled in 1983. This survey, a collaboration between multiple archaeologists including Lacey, Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, and others, documented field antiquities from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, providing an invaluable record of sites that, like these cists at Lederg, might otherwise be lost to time and the elements.

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