County: Antrim Site name: CASTLE UPTON, Templepatrick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Audrey Gahan, ADS Ltd
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 723590m, N 883376m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.683332, -6.083327
Excavation on the proposed site of a golf-course and hotel which had been started in 1996 continued until late June 1997. During this time another seven sites were excavated, ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age.
Site 6, the largest of the sites excavated, contained a 'ceremonial' avenue of two parallel rows of pits. On average these were c. 1–1.5m in diameter and are of late Neolithic/early Bronze Age date. A cremation pit burial, two possible structures and an Iron Age subrectangular possible house structure were also identified. From the fill of this structure was recovered a small blue glass bead, which can be directly paralleled with one found at Navan Fort which is diagnostically Iron Age. A series of ditches extended through this site and at least some of these are of prehistoric date, the rest being most likely Early Christian.
Site 7 consisted of a penannular ring-ditch with two centrally located elongated pits, the largest of which was stone-lined. Although no bones were preserved within the pits, it is assumed that they originally contained burials. The smaller of the two was less than 1.5m long and was possibly for a child. No artefacts were recovered in association with this feature but typologically it dates to the Early Christian period.
Site 8 consisted of two parallel ditches, possibly boundary ditches. They can be dated to the Early Christian period from pottery sherds recovered from the fills.
Another Early Christian ditch was located at Site 9. This was sectioned and found to contain potsherds from that period and a roughly shaped stone axe.
Yet another ditch, again possibly Early Christian in date, was found under the area of the hotel development (Site 10). It appeared to zigzag across the area and no datable finds were recovered.
Site 11 represented the heavily truncated remains of a possible late Neolithic/early Bronze Age habitation. Within the occupation debris abundant sherds of pottery and flint implements were found. The remains of stake- and post-holes suggest a structure.
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