2006:474 - Ballynabragget, Down

This site consisted of the severely truncated remains of a group of pits and a portion of a curvilinear ditch. The site was located at the east end of a low linear ridge, with higher ground to the north-west through north to north-east. The curvilinear ditch emerged into the working width of the recently completed BGE (Northern Ireland) gas pipeline from the north, and curved gently to the north-east. As the portion of ditch within the working width would not be impacted upon by the pipeline construction, it was agreed that a single 3m-long box section would be cut through the feature and the remainder left undisturbed. The excavated section of ditch, which measured 2.2m wide by 0.35m deep, had stepped sides down to a U-shaped profile with a flat base. The ditch had been cut on its south edge by a large circular pit that was 0.9m in diameter by 0.21m deep. A subcircular pit, which was 1.1m in diameter by 0.19m deep, lay immediately to the south of the previous pit. A second subcircular pit of similar dimensions and shape lay 7.5m to the north-west. Situated 2m to the south-west was a group of three pits. The westernmost pit measured 0.65m east–west by 0.5m by 50mm deep. It had been cut on its east side by a larger pit, which was 0.95m south-east/north-west by 1.1m by 0.11m deep. The third pit in the group lay 0.4m to the south-east and measured 0.5m north–south by 0.38m by 0.2m deep.