2006:493 - NORTH DOWN TRUCK MAINS, Carryduff to Newtownards Section, Down

Area 1, Tullynagardy
Burnt-mound spread, trough and pits
The site was dominated by a large, irregular-shaped spread of burnt-mound material, beneath which was a pit and a trough. At least half of the subcircular-shaped pit extended beyond the limits of excavation. It had a width of 2.5m, an excavated length of 1.65m and a depth of 0.62m, while the clay-lined trough was irregular in plan, with a length of 6.7m, width of 3.6m and depth of 0.62m. Both the trough and the spread were badly disturbed by a later stone field drain, which had a north-west/south-east orientation. To the west and north-west of the spread, there were a further four pits of varying size and shape.

Area 2, Monlough
Burnt-mound spread and pits
This area consisted of a burnt-mound spread, which covered two pits. One of the pits was subcircular in plan, with a length of 2.2m, width of 1.8m and depth of 0.64m. It was partially cut into the natural bedrock, outcrops of which are prevalent in the local area. The bedrock may have been deliberately split to provide stones to be heated and then dropped into a water-filled trough. Immediately south of it, there was a subrectangular-shaped pit, which was 2.2m in length, 1.1m in width and had a depth of 0.3m.

Area 3, Monlough
Burnt-mound spread, trough, pit and gully
The area consisted of three subsoil-cut features and part of a burnt-mound spread and was c. 0.5km west of Area 2. One of these features was an oval-shaped trough that measured 1.75m north–south by 1.5m, with a depth of 0.3m. Most of the base was covered by a course of tightly packed, flat angular stones, which, along with the clay natural, would have made it watertight. Just south of the trough there was an oval-shaped pit that was 1.8m in length, 1.3m in width, with a depth of 0.5m, and a linear-shaped feature with an east–west orientation that disappeared beneath the bank of the stream at the eastern edge of the site. The latter had a surviving length of c. 7m, a width of 1.8m at its greatest extent and a depth of 0.44m. Just south of the gully were the remains of a burnt-mound spread, which had been truncated by the cut of a modern river channel.

Area 4, Monlough
Burnt-mound spread and pits
This site was in a field adjacent to Area 3 and was comprised of three subsoil-cut features along with a spread of burnt-mound material. The spread measured 0.85m by 2.5m, with an average depth of 0.25m, and continued north, beyond the limit of excavation. Immediately to the south-west of the spread there were three interconnected pits, the largest of which measured 1.45m by 1.2m with a depth of 0.32m. The fill of this pit produced a sherd of Bronze Age pottery (2000–500 bc), was cut by another pit to the south-west and had a roughly contemporary elongated pit within its confines. All of the features were disturbed by later field drains.

Area 5, Milecross
Burnt-mound spreads, trough and pits
The site was dominated by two large, irregular-shaped spreads of burnt-mound material, one of which covered a subcircular-shaped trough that had a width of 2.3m, excavated length of 2.1m and depth of 0.84m. The remnants of a clay lining were concentrated along the base and lower sides of the cut. To the east and north-east of the trough there were two pits, which measured 0.7m in diameter with a depth of 0.24m and 2.25m north–south by 1.6m, with an excavated depth of 0.98m, respectively.

Area 6, Tullynagardy
Burnt-mound spread and stake-hole
This site was located at the eastern limit of the same arable field that contained Area 5 and consisted of a relatively small, irregular in plan, burnt-mound spread, beneath which was a stake-hole. The stake-hole was roughly oval in plan, measuring 0.24m by 0.16m, with a maximum depth of 0.2m. It was sealed beneath a spread that covered an area of 5.5m north–south by 4m.

Area 7, Ballybeen
Burnt-mound spread, trough and pits
The site consisted of a scatter of three subsoil-cut features and a spread. A trough, circular in plan, which had a diameter of 1.3m and a maximum depth of 0.66m, was found beneath the spread. When the surface of the spread was trowelled, three sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery (1200–500 bc) were recovered. In addition, two pits were excavated to the north of the spread, one of which was stone-lined, with a diameter of 0.77m and a depth of 0.34m, while the other had a maximum diameter of 0.5m, was 0.06m deep and produced a worked piece of flint.

Area 8, Ballybeen
Spreads, pits and stake-holes
This site was located south of Area 7 and consisted of three spreads and nineteen subsoil-cut features. The spreads were located at the southern edge of the site, were charcoal-rich and covered a concentration of eleven stake-holes, some of which formed a slight arc, were tightly packed together and may have formed a windbreak. In addition, two stake-holes were found within the corners of a pit and may represent the last fragments of a timber framework within the cut. The remaining features were typically oval-shaped pits with charcoal-rich fills.

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