2006:2 - AGHALISLONE, Antrim

A licence was granted for the evaluation of a proposed development site. Prior to the evaluation request, unsupervised topsoil-stripping had occurred and a visit by a casework officer from the Environment and Heritage Service: Protecting Historic Monuments found remnants of charcoal, pottery and burnt bone across the site. The development site lies to the north-west of a rath (ANT 064:082). Aerial photographs also identified anomalies on the site of the development itself. Monitoring of restripping of topsoil was requested by the Environment and Heritage Service. However, a site visit found that further unauthorised works had taken place. The developer had proceeded to lay foundations for the development and a layer of stones had been set down across the site. A number of sherds of medieval and post-medieval pottery were recovered from a spoilheap on the site, but no burnt bone or charcoal was evident. It was not possible to carry out the evaluation as requested, due to the advanced stage of construction at the site.