2006:486 - Banoge, Down

This site consisted of four pits distributed over two large fields. Two of the pits were situated towards the south-east limit of the area of the recently completed BGE (Northern Ireland) gas pipeline. The larger pit, which measured 1.5m by 1.2m by 0.2m deep, was subrectangular and filled with mid-brown/grey silty sandy clay. The smaller, elongated pit, which measured 1.4m by 0.7m by 0.1m deep, lay 1.5m to the north-west and was filled with light-yellowish-grey silty clay with numerous charcoal flecks and incursions. A third, smaller but deeper, subcircular pit, which measured 0.65m by 0.55m by 0.3m deep, with two fills, was uncovered 240m to the north-west. Its basal fill was very dark greyish-black clayey silt with frequent charcoal flecks and occasional pebbles overlain by brown clayey silt with frequent charcoal flecks, charcoal staining along the north-west side and moderate amounts of small pebbles and broken angular stone. Two further possible small pits were uncovered. One of these proved to be a stone socket but the other was a pit 0.4m in diameter by 0.15m deep and filled with medium-brown clayey silt with occasional charcoal flecks and small stones.