County: Antrim Site name: Dunseverick Cave, Feigh alias Dunseverick
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/07/181
Author: Ruth Logue, Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University, Belfast.
Site type: Medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 698630m, N 944531m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.238083, -6.449213
This research excavation was carried out in association with the Centre for Maritime Archaeology (University of Ulster, Coleraine). The cave is 80m to the west of Dunseverick Castle (ANT003–011) and the excavation was to investigate the likelihood that it was used during the occupation of the castle. Four trenches were opened: two in the interior (1, 2), one at the mouth (3) and one outside (4).
Trench 1 revealed archaeologically significant layers with evidence of occupation and burning, and medieval coarseware pottery.
Trenches 2 and 3 were opened on either side of a stone wall surviving along a portion of the cave mouth. Trench 2 contained a large amount of rock debris and some occupation evidence; it was excavated to bedrock.
Excavation was limited on Trench 3 but it was of archaeological significance and contained medieval coarseware pottery.
Trench 4 was opened across a drystone wall running down to the nearby beach. Nothing of archaeological significance was found here.
