Additional infant graves have been found during ongoing excavations at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway.
The discovery has been described as "consistent evidence" of a second burial ground, separate from one on another part of the site, which was previously examined.
In its monthly update on how work at the location is progressing, the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention in Tuam (ODAIT) said "graves of child or infant size" were found around 100 metres from where significant quantities of human remains were previously confirmed.
While the location where the latest discovery was made is labelled as "burial ground" on old maps, there was no surface or ground level indication that it had been used for that purpose until a more detailed excavation commenced.
The ODAIT said the layout and size of the graves in question are consistent evidence that it is a burial ground that was used during the time the Mother and Baby Home operated in Tuam between 1925 and 1961.
Four sets of human remains have been recovered from the area.
These are said to have been buried in a manner consistent with those of seven other sets of remains, found during October.
The ODAIT said initial assessments suggest all of them belong to infants and that they had been buried in coffins.
In 2017, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes confirmed that "significant quantities of human remains have been discovered in at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined".
These are in the area known as the memorial garden, which has been tended by locals for decades, in memory of those who died in the home.
The remains in question had been placed in chambers and were not buried in the earth.
The office previously cautioned that the multiple uses of the site over the last 200 years would complicate the excavation task.
At various times, it served as a workhouse, a military barracks and a Mother and Baby Home.
The entire site has been divided into sections as archaeologists carry out a methodical examination.
