Midden, Castlequarter, Inch, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Settlement Sites

Midden, Castlequarter, Inch, Co. Donegal

Along the shoreline below Inch Castle in County Donegal lies a fascinating archaeological remnant that tells the story of centuries of human habitation.

This midden, essentially an ancient rubbish heap, sits against the rocky outcrop supporting the castle above and stretches westward along the slope below Castle Quarter Low. First properly documented in 2001, the site has revealed itself to be a valuable window into medieval life, with shells, soil and artefacts creating distinct layers that chronicle different periods of occupation.

The midden appears to contain at least two distinct phases of accumulation. The first phase, dating from approximately 1507 to 1691 AD according to radiocarbon analysis, is directly associated with the castle's heyday and has yielded various late medieval artefacts. A second, older phase lies beneath what appears to be a layer of building rubble, suggesting earlier activity at the site. The stratification is particularly visible at certain points; archaeologists noted a possible passageway about 1.1 metres wide, filled with shells and soil, located 22 to 23 metres east of a distinctive triangular rock formation.

Active coastal erosion continues to expose new sections of this historical deposit, making it both a valuable archaeological resource and a site requiring urgent documentation. The 2001 survey team created a comprehensive photographic record, taking sequential images at four metre intervals from west to east to preserve evidence of the midden's contents before they're lost to the sea. Their work has provided crucial insights into the daily lives of Inch Castle's inhabitants, from their diet, evident in the shell deposits, to their material culture, preserved in the discarded artefacts of medieval life.

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