  location in Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland Portbraddon Cave (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |
| Location | Portbraddon,County Antrim |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 55°14′54″N6°28′32″W / 55.24833°N 6.47556°W /55.24833; -6.47556 |
| Type | sea cave |
| History | |
| Periods | Mesolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1930s |
| Archaeologists | Andrew McLean May |
Portbraddon Cave (also spelledPortbradden,Portbraddan) is arelictsea cave located nearPortbraddon,County Antrim on the north coast ofNorthern Ireland. Its located 5 m (16 ft) above the present-day high water mark which makes it importantarchaeologically, as it would have been inhabited as far back as theMesolithic.[1]
In the 1930s the cave was the subject of an archaeological dig by Andrew McLean May, who made a number of notable finds. During the course of the excavations, which went as deep as 2 m (7 ft) below the modern floor level, May encountered: iron objects, including the barrel of amuzzle-loadingpistol;pottery andflint tools, some of which showed Mesolithic characteristics; fireplaces and animal bones and ultimately the original water-worn floor of the cave. Most notably May also discovered partial remains of three human females.[1] They were examined by Professor Thomas Walmsley atQueen's University Belfast, who noted that "most of the bones have primitive features which are not likely found together in post-medieval time; and there are some characteristics which suggest an epi-palaeolithic inheritance."[2]
The whereabouts of the human bones have since become unknown, and they have not been subjected to modernradiocarbon dating techniques.[1]
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