1990:002 - BALLYSHANAGHILL, Antrim

The series of trial excavations carried out on behalf of Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch, DOE(NI), in September 1990 showed clearly that the site at Ballyshanaghill is an Early Christian, circular, univallate occupation site i.e. a rath. It was constructed by dumping the excavated ditch material to form an enclosing bank. The interior is slightly dished in shape but generally slopes downwards from east to west. Unusually, the deepest overburden of topsoil is towards the eastern or up-slope side. Here there is no evidence that cultivation ridges, noted in two of the four excavated trenches, touched the intriguing evidence for the presence of a possible palisade trench as well as other features, including the presence of up to 0.1m of occupation soils sealed beneath the primary bank-wash deposits. Lastly, this long section also revealed extensive pre-bank activity as well as the fascinating possibility that archaeological deposits survive beyond the limits of the rath. In conclusion, this site consists of complex, multi-period archaeology the most obvious of which is the construction of a rath in the Early Christian period. Good evidence for the internal structural layout of a rath appears to survive as well as a wide variety of finds. There is also an opportunity for a rare examination of the occupational history of a site prior to the construction of a rath. Excavation is due to continue in February-March 1991.

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