Cist in Ballygrania

On a ledge above a scarp, adjacent to the E bank of the Unshin River. There are no visible remains of this short cist; a septic tank is now built on the site. It was discovered in 1970 during construction work (NMI). It consisted of a rectangular cist grave (L 0.71m; min. Wth 0.25m; max. Wth 0.33m; D 0.43m) containing the cremated bones of one human adult and the teeth of a child. Each of the four sides of the cist was formed by a thin limestone slab and the bottom by two large flat stones. The cist was covered by a single capstone and the space between the capstone and the sides was packed with small stones. Small stones also covered the capstone. The cremated remains were heaped in the centre of the floor with a thin spread to all sides. (Raftery 1973, 186; Waddell 1990, 131) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008