1987:48 - DUNMISK, Dunmisk, Tyrone

A two-week, small-scale excavation was carried out on the southern approaches to Dunmisk Fort between 20-31 July 1987. The excavation was undertaken in an effort to locate some activity linked to the Early Christian cemetery extensively excavated by Dr Richard Ivens on the summit of Dunmisk in previous years (see Excavations 1986, p. 33-4). In the event, a complex of banks and ditches was uncovered which indicated an era of activity on Dunmisk at least contemporary with and most likely pre-dating the Early Christian cemetery on the summit. Apart from this conclusion, no other interpretive statements can be made owing to the almost total lack of any diagnostic archaeological material.

It was decided to excavate a trial trench some 5m downslope, directly south of the 'Fort', and continue some distance towards the boggy area some 65m distant. Prior research had shown that the boggy area had once been open water covering a larger area extending at least several metres towards Dunmisk (early O.S. maps). A trackway was also known to have skirted this small lough and a 19th-century field boundary was also discovered to have run north-east to south-west across the slope. Thus it was anticipated that some 25m could be excavated which avoided these features. In the event, the complexity of the bank and ditches and poor weather allowed only 15m to be investigated.

Beneath the sod was 0.4-0.5m of thoroughly mixed topsoil, Local contacts had made the point that the field had been ploughed although no specific period in history was mentioned. The soil was medium brown in colour, crumbly and well-drained.

The next layer consisted of a darker brown subsoil (0.15m in depth), which contained many stones and small rocks in the north of the cutting. This coincided with the location of the ditch. Elsewhere, this subsoil was relatively stone-free.

The third soil level was dark orange boulder clay (0.2m in depth) which became browner with depth until it became extremely hard and compact with a high rocky content at a depth of 1.2m. In some areas, finely washed gravel was uncovered beneath the boulder clay.

The major find was in the north of the cutting where a ditch had been cut through boulder clay and into the gravel beneath. Several very thin (less than 5mm thickness) deposits of purple, orange and brown layers had accumulated followed by a 10mm deposit of light orange soil. Above this was 0.6m of light brown soil not unlike the topsoil found elsewhere on the site. This became very gravelly towards the deepest part of the ditch.

The ditch fill was sealed by a 0.2m depth of black humic soil with flecks of charcoal scattered throughout. This abutted a ridge revetted by three rough courses of stonework, with evidence of a post-hole cut into the ridge directly behind the revetment. Sealing the black humic soil was a layer of stones and rocks which lay beneath the subsoil.

A small feature, filled with boulders mixed with a light clay, was also found in the south of the cutting. This feature had been cut into the orange boulder clay. The boulders and clay had been deposited and the original fill replaced. The feature was archaeologically sterile.

There was an extremely disappointing lack of archaeologically diagnostic finds. There were two natural pieces of flint, two struck pieces and one finely retouched arrow point which was found just beneath the sod layer. Sixty-six pieces of glass and one clay pipe stem as well as a badly corroded metal hoe were found. Several large concentrations of slag were uncovered in all layers. A cow tooth and a poor quality polished stone axe were found in the ditch fill sealed beneath the black humic soil.