County: Antrim Site name: KILLYBEGS ROAD, Antrim
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 50:4 Licence number: —
Author: J.C. McSparron, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Rath and Motte
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 713687m, N 888523m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.731886, -6.234812
This was the location of an Early Christian ecclesiastical site and a rath converted into a motte, removed during previous development. An investigation took place ahead of factory expansion.
A roughly circular feature, 21m in diameter, was noted, but, following heavy rainfall, attempts to find it again failed. It was assumed to be the insubstantial remnant of an enclosing ditch. Several large timbers and some strands of hazel, all running approximately east-west, were also found. These turned out to be natural timbers along the bottom of a stream bed, subsequently removed.
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