What is recorded here

Ardaravan Buried Stone Cist is a damaged square chamber hidden one metre beneath a Donegal glacial ridge. Quarrying exposed it in 1978, leaving only its capstone and the cremated remains of one young adult. It has no artefacts, no visible marker and no certain purpose beyond holding that one life beneath the ridge.

Situated 50m from the NE end of the central spine of a NW-SE aligned glacial ridge. This severely damaged short cist was uncovered in 1978 during quarrying. It was investigated the same year by O'Kelly. It was positioned 1.07m beneath ground level. The capstone was the only structural stone that had not been removed. Kelly tentatively reconstructed the remainder of the monument but was unable to accurately determine its original dimensions. He believed that it was originally square in plan and composed of five slabs set on edge – two at one side and one each at the other three sides. The floor was paved with a single stone and the structure was roofed by a single capstone (sim. 1.2m x 0.6m). A deep pit had been dug to recieve the cist. The floor was paved with a single stone and the structure was roofed by a single capstone. The cremated remains of a single adult, 25 and 30 years of age, of indeterminate sex (NMI 128) were identified but the cist contained no artifacts. (Cahill and Sikora 2011, Vol 1, 111-113) Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 12 February 2013

A Neolithic buried stone cist, dating to the 4th–3rd millennium BCE, likely used for single or small group inhumation burials. Its discovery provides insight into early funerary practices in the region.

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