County: Antrim Site name: GLYNN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Mr. Peter Woodman, Department of Antiquities, Ulster Museum
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 740721m, N 900090m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.828906, -5.809760
A small scale exploratory excavation. During the levelling of a portion of the Raised Beach large quantities of Mesolithic material was found, including 24 broken or complete Mesolithic axes of both core and flake types, borers, microliths, microblades and large numbers of prismatic cores. Also a certain amount of Larnian and Neolithic material was scattered around the site. At one point where Raised Beach deposits were in situ there was a large quantity of Microlithic material.
The purpose of the excavation was to establish if the Microlithic industry was present in these deposits. The excavation showed that a thin layer of gravel and sand overlying boulder clay did contain the Microblade industry. Overlying the Raised Beach were signs of Neolithic activity. The result of the excavation would appear to be that the Microblade industry is found in certain specific deposits and is confined to one smallish area. The Larnian material is scattered over a much larger area and would appear to come from other deposits.
The main significance of the site is that near the maximum transgression, i.e. roughly contempory with the Late Larnian of the Curran Point, is a Microblade site which is only one mile from the Curran Point. As some of the material was very fresh further investigations may reveal part this stile still in situ.
