County: Down Site name: GLENDHU
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: P.C. Woodman, Ulster Museum
Site type: Midden and Habitation site
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 738222m, N 876296m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.615962, -5.859921
This small-scale rescue was necessitated by a road widening scheme which had cut into a natural terrace which overlooked Belfast Lough. In the area adjacent to a garden the topsoil had been bulldozed off leaving a small midden exposed in section.
Excavation of the bulldozed surface revealed several pairs of postholes about 2m apart, some filled with comminated shell fragments. Against the section was a shallow irregular pit, about 1m across and over 1.5m long, containing several sherds of food vessel pottery. The midden appeared to have consisted of several small heaps of shell consisting of oysters and cockles. Adjacent to it were two deep stakeholes.
An area of 6 sq.m was excavated in the neighbouring lawn, producing, in a sealed context, several postholes, a large deep pit and the remnants of another small midden.
A polished stone axe and Bann flake were found on the bulldozed surface about 10m away from the excavated area. While these might be later Mesolithic the presence of the pottery and a different flint industry in the area of the middens suggested that this main complex was Early Bronze Age in date.
