1998:114 - IDB DEVELOPMENT SITE, Belfast Road, Downpatrick, Down

Archaeological investigations within the townlands of Inch and Ballyrenan began in November 1997, ahead of an 80-acre industrial estate development in Downpatrick, Co. Down, which was funded by the IDB. Over a period of ten months eight areas of archaeological significance have been identified, ranging in date from the Neolithic (5500–3500 BC) to the Early Christian period (AD 600–1100). This work was completed over two phases.

Phase 1: pre-development
Three areas of archaeological significance had been found as part of the pre-development phase of works. Area 1 was identified through aerial photographs, while Areas 2 and 3 had been identified through geophysical testing.

Area 1
One of the first areas investigated within Inch townland was the site of an Early Christian defended farmstead, or rath, on the north facing slope of Drumlea Hill (Excavations 1997, 20–1). It survived as a ditched enclosure, some 38–40m in diameter, with an entrance to the north-east. Within the enclosure two structures were uncovered. The first was a rectangular house structure, c. 9m long and 5m wide, surviving as a series of substantial bedrock-cut postholes. The second was a circular hut structure c. 3.5m in diameter. Finds from the site included large sherds of souterrain ware pottery from the ditch fills, and a fragment of a lignite bracelet. There was also evidence of pre-rath activity on site, in the form of both an earlier hearth feature and other random postholes, which produced fragments of Neolithic pottery.

Area 2
Near the base of a drumlin in the adjacent townland of Ballyrenan an area of random pits and postholes was uncovered, along with a series of long gullies that contained charcoal-rich soil and burnt stones. This site was interpreted as a possible cooking/ working area, which contained temporary hut structures. The gullies, which were situated along the junction between glacial till and grey gley clays, may have represented cooking-pits. The junction between the two soils was interpreted as an old water edge. Pottery sherds found on site suggest that this area dated to the Bronze Age (c. 4000–2500 BC).

Area 3
A large spread of stone material some 24m x 15m was found near the top of the above-mentioned drumlin. This later proved to be the remains of two stone platforms, one 15m x 14m, the other 14m x 16m, their long axes both aligned north-south. Around these platforms was evidence of further activity in the form of postholes and pits. Finds from this area included Neolithic pottery, flint flakes and a scraper, and two blue glass beads.

Phase 2: Monitoring
The second phase of works involved monitoring topsoil-stripping, when a total of five further areas of archaeological significance were identified, in both Ballyrenan and Inch townlands.

Area 4
A fourth area of activity was roughly 400m from the Belfast road. This area produced evidence of a possible rectangular Neolithic house structure in the form of a series of postholes and a badly truncated house slot. A large pit associated with the structure produced small fragments of Neolithic pottery.

Area 5
Archaeological activity in this area survived as a substantial pit cut into the hill from which prehistoric pottery, dating to the Bronze Age, was recovered. Under a spread of soil associated with this pit and to the east of it two post-holes were found

Area 6
This area produced evidence of a Bronze Age house structure. This survived as the remains of a circular slot, roughly 12m in diameter, containing internal postholes. Finds from this site included Bronze Age pottery sherds and a flint scraper.

Area 7
A shallow pit containing charcoal-rich soil and burnt stones was uncovered at the base of the east slope of Drumlea Hill. This lay at the edge of an old water line, possibly the same as in Area 2, and was similarly interpreted as the remains of a cooking-pit.

Area 8
An extensive area on a ridge at the base of Drumlea Hill revealed an abundance of archaeological activity, which included a Bronze Age house structure and cemetery.

The cemetery survived as a collection of eight cremation burials, three of which had been enclosed by small ring-ditches. These three ring-ditch burials were orientated along a north-east/south-west line and ranged from c. 3m to 5m in size, each with a cremation pit burial in the centre. The largest of these had a setting of post-holes around the outside of the ditch, as well as a palisade slot on the inside of the bottom of the ditch, and may represent the most important burial on site. The second-largest ring-ditch burial also had a ring of post-holes around the outside of the ditch. The cremation pit in this second burial produced a number of sherds of Bronze Age pottery, which suggest that the cremated remains may have been deposited into an urn before being placed into the ground.

To the south-west of these burials was a group of three individual cremation burials, without any associated ditch. One of these produced evidence that the cremated remains may have been put into a bag before being deposited into the ground, as the burnt bone was firmly concentrated in the middle of the pit.

Further south of these burials were a further two ring-ditches, neither of which had any burials associated with them. The largest of these contained a substantial amount of large boulders within the ditch fill, which suggests that there may have been a stone mound or an earthen mound with stone facing inside the confines of the ditch.

A further 4–5m to the south of the latter, two ring-ditches and a house structure, similar to that in Area 7, were found. This house survived as the remains of a circular foundation slot c. 10m in diameter, with internal post-holes possibly representing roof supports. Pottery sherds from a pit associated with this house suggest that the structure is Bronze Age in date.

Summary
There has been a substantial amount of archaeological evidence of past settlements and associated activity provided by large-scale developments such as at the IDB development site in Downpatrick. In this case there is apparent evidence of occupation in the area spanning a 6000-year period. It is clear that the high ground afforded by drumlins was a prime settlement location for both prehistoric and historic communities, who no doubt would have utilised the resources provided by the surrounding rich landscape and nearby River Quoile. We have also been given an insight into the ritual and ceremonial practices of prehistoric societies through the discovery of the Bronze Age cemetery.

It is hoped that the evidence collected during these recent excavations, once viewed in conjunction with our existing knowledge, will further our understanding of past settlement patterns in the area of both Downpatrick and the rest of County Down.

I acknowledge both the IDB and DOE-EHS for their support and cooperation during both phases of archaeological works.

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