2006:117 - TEMPLEPATRICK: Dunore to Hydepark Trunk Mains, Antrim

Water Service is replacing the main water mains from Dunore treatment plant to Hydepark, Mallusk. Monitoring of topsoil removal prior to the excavation of the pipe trench began in May 2006, with excavation carrying on to July 2006.

A total of sixteen archaeological sites were identified, as well as 42 isolated features scattered along the length of the pipeline.

The house identified at site A1 (AE/06/123) was found to belong to the Type C category of Bronze Age house structure. It consisted of a penannular wall slot enclosing an area with a maximum diameter of 9.4m east–west. Type C structures range in diameter from 3 to 12m. There were indications of stone packing in the fill of the slot-trench and frequent charred wood, which may have been the remains of wooden posts or planking. A possible entrance was identified in the south-east quadrant of the structure and measured 0.6m wide. A small post-hole was located in the centre of the entranceway. This was possibly a structural support for the entrance.

The two curvilinear gullies around the house slot may have functioned as eaves-drip gullies. The construction of these features was similar to that of the slot-trench, having U-shaped profiles and relatively flat bases. The gully in the south-west of the site contained an area rich in charcoal. It is likely that this was the burnt remains of some wooden planking or possibly wooden posts.

These structures have a wide date range, which stretches from 1700 to 830 bc, with the majority concentrated in the Late Bronze Age. The ceramic evidence from this house appears to concur with the structure type, dating the house to the Late Bronze Age.

The burnt mound spread at site A2 was situated close to the Bronze Age house at site A1 and may have been contemporary with it.

The house structure identified at site A3 (AE/06/124) was identified as the probable remains of a type A structure. This house had been heavily truncated to the north and north-east in antiquity. The house consisted of a probable penannular wall slot. A number of post-holes identified within the enclosed area probably represent the remains of load-bearing posts. A large amount of stone recovered from the fill of the slot suggests that it may have functioned as packing for additional posts, some of which may also possibly have been of a load-bearing nature.

It appeared that the structure was entered from the east. A terminal was visible in the south side of the slot but the truncation in the north had removed any evidence of a second terminal. It is possible that a post-hole was located in the centre of the entranceway and may have been a structural support for the entrance. The entrance may have been shielded from the wind by a curvilinear gully to the east.

A second curvilinear gully was located to the south-east of the house slot. It is possible that this also acted as a windbreak for the entrance way or for a possible work area outside the house.

A number of external pits were noted outside of the house structure at site A3, which were possibly refuse pits, but their exact function could not be fully established.

At Site A4 (AE/06/125) the remains of an inverted cremation pot burial were excavated. The burial had been heavily truncated in antiquity with the result that only on average the upper 0.05m of pot remained. The pot was dated to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2500–1500 BC) and showed little sign of surface treatment. The surface of the pot was not smoothed or slipped and appeared very coarse. A series of criss-cross lines had been incised around the external rim as decoration.

Site A5 consisted of a burnt spread, which extended 3.05m north–south by 4.65m and had a depth of 0.43m. It directly overlay subsoil. No archaeological finds were present in the spread.

Site A6 consisted of a burnt spread which overlay a layer of hillwash on the steep slope of the hillside. It extended 3m north–south by 1.78m and was truncated by a modern water pipe in the east. The underlying deposits were oxidised, indicating that a degree of burning occurred in situ. No archaeological finds were present in the spread.

Site A7 consisted of a burnt spread which directly overlay subsoil. It extended 6.57m north–south by 12.5m and had a maximum depth of 0.65m. No archaeological finds were present in the spread.

Site A9 consisted of a burnt mound which consisted of a burnt spread overlaying a wood-lined trough. The trough contained a series of stake-holes which were cut into its base. These stake-holes represent the remains of a structure which appears to pre-date the wood lining of the trough.

Site A11 contained three large refuse pits. The earliest pit was irregular in shape and measured 1.62m north–south by 2.75m by 0.56m. It was cut by a subrectangular pit which measured 3.2m north-east/south-west by 1.15m by 0.42m deep. The last pit was located 0.7m to the east. It was subrectangular and measured 4.46m north–south by 1.82m by 0.4m deep. It contained a single fill, consisting of compact black clay with frequent charcoal flecking and slag. All three were likely to have been refuse pits.

Site A13 consisted of a large post-medieval boundary ditch, two small pits and two burnt spreads. The largest burnt spread measured 13m north–south by 5.4m by 0.16m. The second burnt spread measured 3.5m north–south by 3.5m by 0.11m. The first pit was truncated by the ditch in the west. It measured 2.19m north-west/south-east by 1.04m by 0.16m deep. The second pit cut through the boundary ditch and was modern in date.

Site A14 was identified as an irregularly shaped pit that measured 0.74m north-west/south-east by 0.6m by 0.28m deep. It contained a single fill consisting of compact brown clay containing charcoal flecking.

Site A15 was identified as a modern ditch which contained modern refuse.

Site A16 was identified as a subrectangular refuse pit, measuring 2.16m by 1.23m east–west. It contained a sandy clay fill with frequent stones, some of which were heat-fractured, and charcoal flecking.

Site A18 consisted of four pits and a burnt spread. The burnt spread measured 4.5m north-east/south-west by 5.5m by 0.16m deep. It overlay a large pit which measured 2.55m north-east/south-west by 1.75m by 0.29m deep. The other three pits were irregular in shape and of uncertain function.

The isolated features were located along the length of the pipeline. A total of 42 features were identified and excavated. After testing they were broken down into nine categories. There were thirteen modern or non-archaeological spreads, two possible burnt-mound troughs, one small burnt-mound spread, three refuse pits, nine pits of uncertain function, four hearths/fires, six post-holes, one stake-hole and three possible archaeological spreads.

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