County: Antrim Site name: BALLYGALLEY: Cairncastle Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/02/40
Author: Christopher J. Farrimond, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Prehistoric site - lithic scatter, Kiln - corn drying, Souterrain and Pit
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 737022m, N 907688m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.898152, -5.863685
The site is 200m west of Ballygalley village, south of the main Ballygalley–Cairncastle Road. The field measures 2.5ha. The local topography consists of ground gradually sloping down from west to east, with a distinct break in slope c. 50m from the Ballygalley River, which forms the eastern limit of the site. This break in slope, with the ground sloping relatively steeply to the east, marks the line of a raised beach.
Previous investigations at the site (Eoin Halpin, Excavations 1994, No. 5, and Dermot G. Moore, Excavations 1995, No. 1) established the survival of considerable archaeological deposits within the development area. The surviving deposits were largely Neolithic, although Bronze Age and post-medieval activity was also identified. The excavations at Ballygalley began in May 2002, before a proposed housing development.
In general the site consists of numerous pits, gullies and stake-holes filled with charcoal-flecked soils. A large quantity of flint (c. 50,000 struck pieces) and pottery (c. 5500 sherds) has been recovered from these and the overlying occupation soil.
A few formal alignments of pits were identified. A circle of post-holes with an internal diameter of c. 5.5m was excavated in the western area of the site. Finds included sherds of Western Neolithic pottery, struck flint and a fragment of a porcellanite axehead. This circle of post-holes cut an earlier feature to the north-east: a subcircular gully measuring c. 5m internally. There appeared to be two phases to this feature: a recut was made to re-establish the line of the gully. Moreover, the terminals of the recut seemed to respect a large post-hole to the north, ending c. 0.3m from it. Several small pits were uncovered within the area enclosed by the gully. The gully was truncated to the east by a drystone-built corn-drying kiln, c. 5m by 2m by 1m deep.
A souterrain was excavated in the centre of the site and comprised three linked passages totalling c. 20m in length with an entrance to the north-west. The souterrain was of drystone construction and survived to a depth of c. 1m. Although the roof had largely collapsed, some lintels survived in situ, particularly near the western end. A post-medieval boundary ditch truncated the souterrain.
Excavations at Ballygalley have uncovered evidence of industrial activity in the form of flint knapping on the edge of a small inlet or watercourse in the Neolithic period, in addition to possible habitation and ritual activity. Finds from these areas of the site include decorated and undecorated Western Neolithic pottery, decorated Lyles Hill wares, several porcellanite axeheads and fragments, hammer-stones and a considerable quantity of struck flint. Of the finished artefact types, end scrapers predominate, although hollow scrapers, blades and petit tranchet arrowheads are also represented in the assemblage.
The kiln, the souterrain and a number of small pits show later activity on the site dating to the Early Christian period. Finds include Early Christian pottery and several saddle querns.
The site appears to have been abandoned after this phase, and no activity was discerned until the agricultural improvements of the post-medieval period.
It is anticipated that excavations at Ballygalley will be concluded in the near future.
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