1999:130 - MAGHERAMENAGH, Derry

This development site is in the extreme north-east of County Londonderry, on the southern outskirts of Portrush. The land, between 20m and 30m above sea level, sloped gradually downhill to the north. There was a gentle ridge to the east of the site, running north in the direction of Portrush and Ramore Head. The surrounding fields appeared to be quite fertile, with barley, wheat and root vegetables being grown.

The site is multi-period, dating to both the Neolithic and the Early Christian period. The archaeology uncovered included: pits near the souterrain; a fire-pit and associated post-holes; wall slots and associated features; a dump and burnt layers; post-holes below the dump layers; slots and pits to the west of the house; and a souterrain.

An area on the road to the north-east of Plot 82 produced concentrated patches of charcoal. The major concentration appeared to be a rectangular area of c. 8m x 5m, the long axis of which lay approximately east-west.

The eastern ends of Plots 83 and 84, on the south-east of a small hillock overlooking the eastern field boundary, produced post-holes or pits in two concentric arcs. There appeared to be at least 0.15–0.2m of archaeological strata remaining in the western area of the feature, similar in the east, and possible wall slots to the north and south. There was a possible hearth in the centre. The site was very rich in charcoal interleaved with burnt soil/clay. About 30 sherds of coarse, unglazed pottery and some struck flint were recovered during the preliminary clean-up of the area.

On the road to the north of the charcoal area, in Plots 90 and 91, was a semicircular or right-angled ditch, c. 2m wide. The ditch appeared to run approximately eastwards downhill. Possible stone-packed features ran at right angles to this ditch. This feature was untraceable closer than about 5m from the hedge.

A semicircular enclosure c. 5m in diameter appeared to lie in Plot 82, c. 5m to the south-west of the rectangular charcoal area.

The rectangular and circular buildings appeared to be Neolithic in date, evidenced by artefacts recovered in the vicinity, including coarse pottery (mostly undecorated) and crudely struck flint. The pottery appeared to be Western Neolithic or bucket-shaped pottery similar to Case's Killyhoyle ware. This may be a Neolithic or Early Bronze Age house. Further evidence for the presence of Neolithic people in the area came from the two polished axes found during topsoil-stripping.

It is harder to determine the date of the series of pits and post-holes in the vicinity of the western end of the souterrain. They surrounded its entrance and may have formed a structure over this to conceal or protect it.

The fire-pit was in the centre of the rectangular structure, or to the west of the central post-holes in the circular structure. It was very rich in charcoal. It was not possible to connect it stratigraphically with either of the major structures, but radiocarbon dating may resolve this. On the south-west edge of the fire-pit were two small stake-holes that appeared to be associated with it, possibly as supports for some sort of spit, along with a deeper post-hole to the other side.

Overlying the circular structure and the burnt material was the foundation trench of a rectangular structure. This appeared to be a rectangular building 8–10m long and 6m wide with an entrance on the south side

The dump or conflagration layers were composed of mixed sand and were carbon-rich. Because of their rectangular form and their being bounded by construction trenches, it is probable that a rectangular building burnt down in this location.

The post-holes form a circular structure 8–9m in diameter. In the centre of this arc was a group of post-holes that may have been used to hold up a roof. Several of the post-holes showed evidence of their posts having been replaced, probably as a result of decay. This structure was the oldest on its site and was later covered with layers of burnt material, either owing to the destruction of a later rectangular structure or as a result of an industrial process.

The curving gully to the west of the main site may be a defensive palisade trench enclosing the settlement. It may also have functioned as a windbreak.

A souterrain was discovered on a knoll in the northern part of the field. It was constructed by excavating a trench into the subsoil and utilising and modifying edges of rock outcrop within the subsoil. The trench was 2.4m wide on average and 1.4m deep. After completion, the passage was c. 1m wide and 1.2m deep. Most of the sides had drystone walling, denuded in places. Only the south end of the entrance area and the east end of the main passage were rock-cut and unlined. The former incorporated a rock-cut step that was still functional at the time of excavation. The drystone walling was variable in nature, from neat to fairly untidy. In general, large, bulky, subrectangular stones were used.

Although the roof did not survive, it is clear from the upper courses of the side-walls that corbelling was used.

The souterrain had a c. 12m-long, straight passage that ran from the corner of the right-angled turn side passage to the eastern rock-cut end of the main passage's elevated area. The right-angled turn at the west end formed a passage measuring 8m by 0.8m. At the other end it terminated at a point where two passages emerged at right angles to form a T-junction. They were both entered via very similar, deliberately constricted creeps, created by using large stones in the main passages side-walls to create a drystone-built aperture that was roughly central to each side passage. The creeps and side passages were directly opposite each other. The southern passages measured 5m by 1m. The northern passage was c. 4m long and of uncertain width.

The fill was generally uniform. It seems likely that the souterrain floor was debris-free until the destruction of the structure, which seems to have been deliberate and involved the removal of the upper stonework.

Souterrain ware was found on the floor of the southern side passage, as well as at the right-angled turn at the western end of the main passage. The sherds may have fallen in from surface occupation deposits when the souterrain was destroyed or may be in situ. Fragments of a bone comb were also found in the right-angled extension. Slag was also recovered. A substantial quantity of lithic material consisting of flakes, blades and scrapers, dating to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, was found in the souterrain, clearly in a derived context. This probably related to the activity at the prehistoric house sites to the south. Bone was also recovered, some of it burnt. There was a very small quantity of later material in the fill including medieval or post-medieval glazed pottery and a pipe stem. This may indicate that the souterrain remained open until the last few centuries.

No certain trace of a surface structure was found at Magheramenagh, but the presence of a rock-cut step at the western end hints that there may have been one in that area.

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