What is recorded here

Three people lie buried beside a ruined church in Aughinish, their heads pointing west as if still waiting for Sunday. The sea took half a metre of beach since 2014 and now holds their bones in its mouth, giving back hip, thigh and hand in May 2019. They were placed in simple earth graves with no goods, aligned to the church like quiet instruments in an abandoned song.

Exposed human bone was reported along the shoreline in May 2019 immediately beside the ruined church (CL003-010001-) at the site of a possible shell midden (CL003-010003-). Inspection immediately following revealed the partial remains of three in situ burials eroding out of a low vertical face (H 0.7m). The three individuals were all buried supine and extended, with the heads to the west, in traditional Christian manner and apparently aligned with the church. The first (closest to the church) comprised the left and right hip bones, the right thigh bone and the left and right hand bones of an adult (possibly male) orientated E-W. A couple of metres further W the burial of another adult (also aligned E-W) was truncated across the middle of the left thigh and just above the right knee. The bones of an adult right hand were found 1m further W. Two finger bones were retrieved from where they had been placed in a wide masonry joint in the church gable. The burials appear to be in simple earth-dug graves. No grave goods were observed and no excavation was undertaken. It is not known if other burials have eroded away or how many other burials may be present at the site. Comparative photographs show that some 0.6m of storm beach has been washed away at this location since 2014. Some bone was removed to allow future radiocarbon dating if required. (Lynch 2019) Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 20 May 2019

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