- ARDARAVAN, CO. DONEGAL, Donegal

Introduction
In April 1978 a cist burial containing a cremation was discovered during quarrying at a gravel pit at Ardaravan, near Buncrana, Co. Donegal. The cist was damaged during its discovery and many of the cist stones were removed. The workmen in the quarry reported the find to the landowner, who visited the site and removed the human remains for safekeeping. The bones were handed over to the local curate. Another local person, Mr Liam McGee, visited the site and took measurements and photographs.

The site then came to the attention of the Gardaí at Buncrana, who visited the site and then informed the National Museum of the discovery. By the time of the Garda visit to the site the cist had been completely destroyed. The stones from the site were removed for safekeeping and brought to Fr O’Reilly’s house, where the human remains were also kept.³⁷ The owners of the gravel pit agreed to stop work on this area until further investigation was carried out. An excavation of the site of the cist was undertaken by Eamonn P. Kelly of the Irish Antiquities Division.

Location (Fig. 3.22)
The site was in the townland of Ardaravan, north-east Co. Donegal, on the western side of the Inishowen peninsula.³⁸ It was situated 50m from the north-eastern end of the central spine of a glacial ridge running roughly north-east to south-west. The ridge diminished in height from north-east to south-west, and the cist lay at an altitude of 15–30m above sea level.

Description of site
The cist was discovered at a depth of 1.07m below ground level. All but one of the cist stones, the capstone, had been removed by the time of the investigation (Pl. 21). The cist was reassembled out of context, but it was not possible to determine its original dimensions. It appeared to be almost square in plan and was constructed of five side slabs set on edge—two at one side and one each at the other three sides. The floor was paved with a single slab and the structure was roofed by a large capstone measuring approximately 1.2m long by 0.6m wide. The dark soil evident where the cist stones were removed shows the deep pit that was dug to receive the cist. The cist stones were identified as quartzite.

Comment
The cist contained a cremation of one adult (1978:128) and no accompanying artefacts were found. A number of bone fragments bear green stains, which may be the remains of a copper or bronze object, but there was insufficient accretion to allow for determination of the precise nature and origin of the stains. The cremation was found to represent the remains of one adult of undetermined sex. In the absence of a radiocarbon date or any diagnostic objects this site is assumed to be of early Bronze Age date.

HUMAN REMAINS
C.A. ERSKINE
The collection (1978:128) comprises large fragments of cremated bones of one adult (25–30 years); sex not determined. Larger pieces mainly long bones. Except for hand and foot bones nearly all parts of skeleton represented: large fragments of vault, face and base of skull: petrous temporal, piece of mandible and one molar tooth. Ten pieces of bodies of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. One small piece (probably condyle of femur) shows slight green staining.

REPORT ON THE CAPSTONE
J.S. JACKSON
The fragments are of thinly bedded quartzite with veneers of micaschist on the external surfaces. This is typical of the Dalradian succession of the Inishowen peninsula, where several of the quartzites have intercalations of micaschist.

37. Only one capstone remained in situ at the time of Kelly’s visit.
38. Parish of Fahan Lower, barony of Inishowen West. SMR DG029-030——. IGR 235133 431668.