Balladoole has undergone extensive archaeological excavations in the 20th century, most notably in 1944-1945 by German archaeologist Gerhard Bersu who was interned on the Isle of Man during World War II.

[7] Bersu was permitted to use a team of internees to conduct excavations of significant archaeological sites on the Island during their internment.

The excavated remains of middens belonging to the native hunter-gather communities on the site have provided evidence for human activity at Balladoole from the Mesolithic period.

[10][11] The remnants of a small Bronze Age burial cist dating to c. 1000 BC are located on the north side of the site.

In the 19th century many of the stones were removed for building materials in local structures[17] so that the only architectural feature that remains is the doorway towards the west end of the south wall.

[21] A large mound would have covered the site, but much of this was removed during Bersu's excavations as it was thought to make up part of the earlier Iron Age fortifications.

The burial cairn was covered with the cremated remains of animals and the presence of at least one additional corpse hints at the possibility of human sacrifice.

[23][24] Significant grave goods were excavated from the Viking boat burial at Balladoole[23] and many are on display in the Manx Museum in Douglas: These included a bronze ring-headed pin and a gilded belt buckle.

[25] This may have been a deliberate slighting of the earlier graves, possibly as a sign of pagan Norse domination over the local Christian population.