1999:023 - HAUGHEY'S FORT, Tray, Armagh

The excavations were undertaken over four weeks (28 June–23 July) as part of the excavations module taught by the School of Archaeology and Palaeoecology in The Queen's University of Belfast. The primary purpose of the 1999 excavation was to complete the excavation of the features associated with those that had been opened in 1998 (Excavations 1998, 3). Therefore, the work was aimed at finding the resumption of the inner ditch and further elucidating a series of arcs formed by several hundred stake-holes.

No traces of the suspected continuation of the inner ditch were discovered during the excavation. This indicates that the gap between the terminal previously discovered and its corresponding terminal must be at least 15m. This is an exceptionally wide gap, and consequently it may call into question the previous identification of the small segment as a portion of the inner ditch. It is possible, however, that such a wide gap does exist between the terminals.

The excavations in Trench 15 failed to intersect the outer ditch, even though a parallel trench offset by 20m did cross this feature. Clearly the results obtained through excavation to date have not been able to resolve the nature of the monument at this location. Total excavation might assist, but remote sensing may be a solution to this problem.

A further large number of stake-holes were identified within the area excavated in 1999. These stake-holes were found to penetrate the dark, charcoal-rich cultural layer that had been observed during all previous excavation. The 1999 season was the first occasion on which were found clear traces of the level from which these stake-holes were cut. This was achieved because the area investigated included a section where the overburden was of sufficient thickness to partially protect earlier ground surfaces. The stake-holes indicate a series of arcs that were centred on positions upslope from the putative line of the entrance.

During the 1998 season a large pit was excavated that contained a substantial quantity of Late Bronze Age pottery. The 1999 excavation revealed a second pit of even larger dimensions. The pit measured c. 2m in diameter and had a depth of c. 2.5m measured from the modern ground level, the largest single feature other than the ditches to be uncovered at Haughey's Fort. The basal deposits of this pit were waterlogged and contained a major concentration of Late Bronze Age pottery (at least two large vessels were present), a quantity of animal bones (preliminary analysis has identified bones from species including cattle, pig and red deer) and a variety of other organic material. The last included two timber posts, one of which had been worked and perforated, that were c. 1m long and were found upright against the side of the pit. The timber has been tentatively identified as willow, and the artefacts are currently under conservation. Seeds and insect remains were also present in the organic material that had survived in the base of the pit.

BT7 1NN