County: Antrim Site name: VARIOUS TOWNLANDS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/05/145
Author: Norman Crothers, for ADS Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 729214m, N 894983m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.786150, -5.991004
The following sites and features within Co. Antrim were identified and resolved as part of the recently completed BGE (Northern Ireland) gas pipeline.
Ballyalbanagh 2, 328639 396256
This site consisted of two large oval pits, filled with dark, burnt soils and heat-shattered stone, and a small oval pit. The larger oval pit, which measured 2m east–west by 1.8m by 0.4m, had a single fill of compact dark-brown/black silty clay with moderate-sized angular stones and frequent amounts of charcoal. The second large oval pit measured 1.4m east–west by 1.2m by 0.3m deep and was filled with a compact dark-brown silty clay with frequent large angular stones and charcoal. The final isolated pit containing a single fill of moderately friable blackish-brown silty clay with occasional charcoal measured 0.2m in diameter by 0.08m deep. No finds were retrieved from any of the above features.
Ballyalbanagh 3, 328633 396350
This site was an isolated sub-oval pit, 1m by 0.6m and 0.1m deep, with a single fill of brown silty clay with moderate charcoal flecks.
Carnlougherin 1, 318753 361957
This site consisted of two pits c. 2.5m apart. The smaller, more westerly, pit was subcircular, measured 0.68m in diameter by 0.37m deep and was filled with dark-grey/brown silty clay with a lot of charcoal. To the north-east was a larger subrectangular area, which measured 0.82m by 0.76m by 0.56m deep, with a spread of eight stones set in a hollow depression 1m by 0.5m immediately to the north. The main fill of the pit, a friable dark-black silt with charcoal flecks, also sealed the stone-filled hollow.
Carnlougherin 3, 318989 362363
The badly truncated remains of two post-holes or small pits c. 2.5m apart were uncovered at this location. The more northerly was a subcircular cut, 0.25m in diameter by 0.8m deep, filled with blackish-grey silty clay with moderate amounts of charcoal. The second possible post-hole, 0.25m in diameter by 0.9m deep, was also subcircular and was filled with black silty clay with frequent charcoal flecks and moderate amounts of small stones.
Derrykillultagh 2, 320015 370024
This site consisted of two pits, which had been badly truncated as a result of modern agricultural activity. The smaller pit was an elongated figure-of-eight shape, 1.02m north–south, filled with compact dark-grey/brown silt with moderate amounts of charcoal flecking and occasional sub-angular small stones. The larger pit was subcircular and c. 1m in diameter by 0.1m, with three distinct fills. The basal layer was heavily burnt bright-orange silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks overlain by distinct black silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks and small stones. The upper fill was dark-brownish-grey silty clay similar to the topsoil.
Holestone 4, 324728 389731
This site consisted of the severely truncated remains of three possible pits. The largest of the features measured 0.7m north-east/south-west by 0.5m by only 0.1m deep and was filled with mid-brown/grey clayey silt with occasional charcoal and small fragments of bone. A second shallow feature was situated 2.5m to the south-west. It measured 0.4m north–south by 0.45m by 0.1m deep and was filled with dark-grey/brown sandy silt with occasional charcoal flecks. The third possible pit, which was situated 2m to the north of the previous pit, measured 0.4m north–south by 0.47m but with a depth of only 30mm.
Inisloughlin 1, 316984 360788
This site consisted of a subcircular pit, an oval pit and a stake-hole. The subcircular pit measured 0.9m east–west by 0.88m by 0.35m deep and was filled with loosely compacted friable dark-grey silty clay with occasional flecks of charcoal overlain by loosely compacted dark-grey/bluish-black silty clay with frequent charcoal flecks. The oval pit, which measured 0.76m east–west by 0.29m by 0.29m deep, lay 4.2m to the south-west and was filled with loosely compacted friable mid-grey silty clay with moderate charcoal flecking. This pit has been cut by a sub-rounded/oval stake-hole, which measured 0.2m east–west by 0.1m by 0.12m deep, and was filled with loosely compact friable dark-greyish-black silty clay with frequent flecks of charcoal.
Kilbride 1, 325357 390556
This site consisted of a shallow oval feature, 1.1m by 0.8m by 0.15m deep, with a single fill of friable black sandy loam with frequent charcoal flecks.
Kilmakee 1, 320955 384630
The site consisted of an oval pit, 1.6m by 1.2m by 0.1m deep, filled with friable dark-brown clayey silt with occasional inclusions of small stone.
Knockcairn 2, 320256 373986
This site consisted of a subcircular pit, 0.5m by 0.45m by 0.2m deep, filled with dark-brownish-black charcoal-rich silty clay with fragments of burnt stone. A small sherd of pottery was retrieved.
Lisnataylor 1, 320249 380012
The site consisted of a shallow oval pit, which had been truncated by a modern stone-filled drain. It measured 1.3m long by 0.7m wide and 0.03m deep and was filled by loose brown clayey silt with occasional charcoal and small stones.
Lisnataylor 2, 320308 380679
The site consisted of a shallow pit-like feature, which measured 3.6m east–west by 0.8m by 0.18m deep and was filled with black charcoal-rich clayey silt.
Rashee 327639 393095
The site consisted of a circular pit, 0.9m in diameter by 0.12m deep, filled with friable darkish-brown charcoal-rich sandy silt.
Unit 48, Westlink Enterprise Centre, 30–50 Distillery Street, Belfast, BT12 5BJ
