County: Armagh Site name: Silverbridge
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/07/202
Author: Deirdre Malone, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, 30–50 Distillery Street, Belfast, BT12 5BJ.
Site type: Fulachta fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696575m, N 818885m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.109962, -6.523064
Monitoring was carried out in October 2007 on behalf of Swan Rock Quarry Ltd related to the proposed extension to the existing quarry site at Silverbridge, Newry, Co. Armagh. The area in question consisted of two fields and measured c. 150m east–west by 100m.
Both fields consisted of marginal, very rough ground with bedrock lying quite close to the surface. It was evident that some earthmoving activity had been undertaken in Field 1 prior to the commencement of works at the site. A large long mound ran north-west/south-east parallel with the boundary between this and Field 2. This appeared to have been caused by earlier disturbance or quarrying works where soil had been removed and stored to the side. There was less evidence for disturbance in Field 2.
During the course of monitoring, two spreads of possible burnt-mound material were uncovered, one in each of the two fields. Both spreads were located in low-lying areas overlooked by bedrock outcrops. The spread in Field 1 comprised a charcoal-rich peaty deposit intermingled with heat-shattered stone, which measured c. 13m by 7m and was orientated north-east to south-west. It was heavily disturbed along the west and north sides where it had been truncated by previous works in the Field. The spread in Field 2 also comprised a charcoal-rich peaty deposit intermingled with heat-shattered stone and measured c. 15m by 13m. It was orientated north–south.
No further work has been carried out at the site to date due to poor weather conditions, which have caused the site to become flooded and therefore temporarily inaccessible.
