The site revealed multiple cist burials; stone-lined graves that were commonly used during the Bronze Age. One particularly notable cist contained a plano-convex knife, a distinctive tool characterised by its flat bottom and curved top surface, which is now housed in the National Museum of Ireland. These knives were typically crafted from flint and served both practical and ceremonial purposes in ancient Irish society.

The cemetery appears to have been used over an extended period, as evidenced by the variety of burial types discovered. Alongside the cist containing the knife, several other cists were found throughout the area, with at least one containing what archaeologists described as an ‘urn’, likely a ceramic vessel used to hold cremated remains. The presence of multiple skeletons suggests that not all burials at the site involved cremation, indicating either changing burial customs over time or different practices for different members of the community.

This flat cemetery, meaning a burial ground without visible above-ground monuments like mounds or cairns, represents the kind of understated archaeological site that dots the Irish landscape. While it may not catch the eye like a passage tomb or stone circle, Figary’s burial ground provides valuable insights into how ancient communities in Donegal treated their dead, revealing a complex picture of Bronze Age society through the objects they chose to place with the deceased and the care taken in constructing these stone-lined graves.