County: Down Site name: CATHEDRAL HILL, Downpatrick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 37:73 Licence number: —
Author: Eoin Halpin, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 748449m, N 844572m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.328244, -5.717622
The granting of planning permission to construct a tourist and heritage centre on the slopes of Cathedral Hill in Downpatrick necessitated archaeological mitigation.
A sizeable ditch was found running downslope (south) and cutting two lower curving ditches; their fills contained souterrain ware. At the bottom of the hill was a Bronze Age industrial complex consisting of numerous small pits and stake-holes filled and surrounded by charcoal-rich soil; considerable quantities of bronzeworking slag were recovered from the area, which had been disturbed by a larger, shallow, medieval pit.
Further medieval pits were uncovered in the west of the site. One was stone-lined and c. 1.5m in diameter and depth and had a connecting stone-lined channel running south; neither the features nor the fill showed any signs of heating. Further east was a stepped pit, sheer-sided and c. 2m in diameter at the top, levelling suddenly before dropping down again.
Many of the features exhibited disturbance from the terracing prevalent on the slope.
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