County: Antrim Site name: CARNLOUGH: 13 Bay Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/05/182
Author: Sarah Nicol, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Prehistoric site - lithic scatter, Habitation site, Urn burial and Cremation pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 728364m, N 917806m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.991298, -5.994058
The site consisted of a raised beach lying behind the coast road in Carnlough and an upland section set back from the raised beach. On the upland area two flint-working areas were uncovered comprising scatters of thousands of flint flakes. These appear to be of different periods, early and later Mesolithic. One of them was possibly set within a structure; this took the form of a metalled surface and associated post-holes. There was also a series of large post-holes containing a large amount of Bronze Age pottery. This last area had been badly disturbed by the insertion of the Whitehill road. Post-excavation work is ongoing.
The raised beach contained a vast amount of flint scattered across the whole surface and down into the raised beach material. This material was not in its original location, however, and, although several tons of material was recovered, as it was not in context its value was limited. The most important finds on the beach were two separate groups of Bronze Age cremations. The first consisted of a single cremation within a completely decorated tripartite bowl. The second consisted of three cremation pits. The first contained an inverted collared urn, with the cremation sitting on top of a large stone. The second was a pit containing up to three cremations, one under a large stone, one on top of the stone and one beside it. The third was a shallow pit containing cremated bone.
Work at this site is ongoing.
638 Springfield Road, Belfast, BT12 7DY
