County: Down Site name: SCRABO td
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Miss M. Owens, Ards Historical Society
Site type: Hut sites
Period/Dating: Iron Age (800 BC-AD 339)
ITM: E 746919m, N 871996m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.574907, -5.727516
Scrabo Hill, Newtownards stands at the head of Strangford Lough dominating the surrounding countryside, and, obviously because of this commanding position, was chosen as a settlement site in prehistoric times. The settlement covered an extensive area but before excavation began in 1968 only a hillfort, a destroyed cairn and four groups of hut circles were known. A general survey of the area revealed several more hut circles and one of these was chosen for excavation.
The hut was approximately 10m. in diameter and the remains of the wall trench varied in depth from a few centimetres to 21cm in places and from 15cm to about 28cm in width. The outer ring of stones was used to support these walls and was not an integral part of the construction. The majority of the post holes are the remains of the supports for the roof but those in the south formed part of a smaller construction within the hut circle. Here in a pit about 20cm deep evidence of extensive burning was found. It was in this area also that the majority of the pottery sherds were found. The pottery was coarse in texture with little or no decoration and has been identified as being of local manufacture. Finds, which were not numerous, included a number of flint chippings, a well-worked knife beside the posthole to the north and a spindle whorl with hour-glass perforation. The wood used for the walls has not been identified yet but was possibly oak. A radiocarbon date of 355 + 70b.c. has been obtained from the charcoal remains of these walls.
The evidence produced by the excavation together with earlier finds supports the conclusion that Scrabo Hill is an Early Iron Age Settlement.
