Midden, Baylet, Co. Donegal

First documented by Wm Harte in the 1860s as his 'Site 3', this archaeological treasure was described as being two to three feet thick, though much had already been damaged and spread across adjacent farmland by the time of his discovery. Harte's observations were particularly intriguing; he noted stones bearing marks of fire, a curious lump of cemented oyster shells hardened by heat and pressure with embedded ashes and charcoal, and a stone axe made from brownish quartz. The site was rediscovered in the late 1990s by Mc Naught and Gallagher, who observed significant deterioration due to the field's change from sheep to cattle grazing.

Archaeological excavations conducted between 2001 and 2002 revealed the complex nature of this coastal midden. The site appears as a small portion of what was once a much larger accumulation, perched atop a south facing slope some 2 to 3 metres in height. The excavation uncovered multiple layers of shells, predominantly oysters but also including periwinkles, mussels and needle whelks, interspersed with bands of orange brown clay, sand and loam containing traces of burning and charcoal. These alternating layers suggest periods of occupation and possible abandonment, with radiocarbon dating indicating the site was in use from around 6060 BP through to 4940 BP, bridging the late Mesolithic into the Neolithic period.

The finds from Baylet paint a picture of sustained coastal exploitation by prehistoric communities. Along with the shell deposits, excavators recovered flint tools predominantly of later Mesolithic character, though some Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts were also present. Animal bones, including goose and possibly red deer, along with hazelnut fragments and fish bones, provide evidence of a varied diet. The presence of ground stone implements and the water rolled nature of some artefacts suggest the site may have been affected by higher sea levels in the past, whilst the curious cemented shell concretions mentioned by Harte may have formed underwater. Despite ongoing erosion threatening the site's survival, Baylet remains one of the richest prehistoric coastal sites known in northwest Ireland, offering valuable insights into how ancient communities adapted to and exploited the marine resources of Donegal's coastline.