2006:543 - MOYGANNON (3), Down

This site consisted of a group of pits and stake-holes and the first area to be investigated proved to be three intercutting pits. The earliest pit in the sequence was a shallow oval that measured 1m north–south by 0.8m by 0.15m deep and was filled with medium brown clayey silt. This pit had been cut by an oval pit, which measured 1m west-east by 0.6m and was filled with medium brownish-grey clayey silt with frequent charcoal staining and flecks and occasional medium-sized stones. This pit in turn had been cut by a post-hole, which measured 0.2m in diameter by 0.1m deep and was filled with dark-grey clay. Immediately adjacent to the north was a further pit that, although not fully excavated as it extended beyond the limit of excavation, appeared to be subrectangular with excavated dimensions of 1.5m by 1.5m by 0.5m deep and was filled with brown clayey silt. Two further pit features were uncovered c. 0.5m to the north-west. The larger was an elongated irregular oval, which measured 1.2m east–west by 0.6m by 0.2m deep and was filled with heat-fused stones and slag with sooty gritty charcoal flecks. Approximately 0.4m north of this was a shallow subrectangular feature, which measured 1.2m east–west by 0.65m by 50mm deep. Associated with this pit were seven stake-holes, which were all very similar in size and shape and were each filled with grey/black clayey silt with moderate charcoal flecking. Three lay to the north-west, three to the south-east and one to the north-east. A shallow subrectangular pit, which measured 0.79m north-west/south-east by 0.49m by 60mm deep, was uncovered to the north of the main group of features. The feature had been severely truncated and was filled with blackish-dark-grey sandy clay with frequent charcoal inclusions.

Unit 48, Westlink Enterprise Centre, 30–50 Distillery Street, Belfast, BT12 5BJ