Midden in Streedagh

Situated on the steep, exposed SW-facing slope of a sand dune, overlooking a cobble and sand beach and small bay to SW. The midden is located part-way down the dune slope about 8-10m above the beach. The shifting nature of the dunes exposes and obscures the layer over time, but on various occasion shells, fragments of animal bones and fire cracked stone have been noted extending over an area of 8m by 8m. A hammerstone was recovered from this area in 1962 (NMI 1964, 104). Following erosion and collapse of the dune slope in Winter 2020/21, an enlarged section of the midden layer was exposed, with burnt stone, charcoal-enriched soil, shells and bone fragments clearly visible in a dark brown/black soil matrix (pers. comm. Tamlyn Mc Hugh 2021). Attached image supplied courtesy of Tamlyn McHugh: SL005-018----_01.JPG Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of revised upload: 22 February 2021