2007:381 - BALLYCULLEN, Down

An assessment took place that took the form of test-trenching, monitoring of topsoil-stripping and subsequent excavation of a shallow pit containing burnt stone and charcoal and a stone-lined drain identified during the test-trenching. The site relates to a proposed residential development located within the townland of Ballycullen, Newtownards, Co. Down.

The site consists of three fields focused around a protected structure, Mountpleasant House (HB24/11/014), a large, formal, two-storey late-Georgian farmhouse, built in 1820 on the site of a house previously burnt down in the 1798 rising. A total of 18 test-trenches were excavated, Trenches 1–6 within Field 1, Trenches 7–13 within Field 2 and Trenches 14–18 within Field 3.

Only Trenches 5 and 6 within Field 1 contained any features or potential features of an archaeological nature. Trench 5 contained a well-built, stone-lined drain possibly associated with the late-Georgian farmhouse, or possibly associated with an earlier house that occupied the site pre-1798, and a small, circular burnt-stone spread, 0.91m in diameter. A 10m2 area was stripped around the burnt-stone spread and no further features were identified.

During test-trenching three flint stone tools were recovered from the topsoil (in spoilheaps). One of these appears to have originally been located within an underlying glacial deposit in Field 2. During the testing of Field 2, because of changes in the depth between the topsoil and underlying glacial deposits along the slopes, a number of areas were identified as possible areas of erosion. These were areas where the topsoil and the underlying glacial material had slipped, which formed changes within the overall deposits between the topsoil and the underlying natural. It is within such an area in Field 2 that one of the flint objects may be associated.

This flint object has been analysed by Dr Farina Sternke and Professor Peter Woodman of University College Cork and in their opinion there is a strong possibility that it is of Palaeolithic date, approximately 240,000–180,000 BP, and they suggest that it is a core produced with Levalloisian technology dating to the Early Middle Palaeolithic period. After receiving written confirmation of the nature of this flint object, under consultation with the Department of the Environment (DOENI), all groundworks were halted on the proposed site. Subsequently a methodology was agreed with the DOENI whereby all topsoil-stripping in Fields 1–3 was to be monitored and that any features discovered should be fully excavated.

Between 17 and 24 October 2007 monitoring of the topsoil-stripping of Fields 1–3 took place, and no further archaeological features or deposits were identified. On 31 October, after completion of the topsoil-stripping, the stone-built drain and a smaller, circular burnt-stone spread were excavated.

A 4m section of the drain was investigated and no dating evidence was retrieved. However, a section of the drain was uncovered containing concrete side walls with stone lintels, suggesting that this section of the drain had been recently repaired. The lower section of the drain forked and led into two separate areas filled with loose stone that facilitated drainage.

The smaller, circular burnt-stone spread was investigated and found to be in isolation. It was formed by a shallow bowl-shaped pit/cut containing inclusions of burnt stone and charcoal. No finds were retrieved from this feature; however, the bottom of the pit appears to have been subject to in situ burning causing discolouration of the natural, thus suggesting it represented a possible hearth or small fulacht fiadh-type feature.

As requested by the DOENI the monitoring of excavation areas of the site’s underlying geology was carried out with the particular aim of understanding the history of the Pleistocene activity of the site. During this monitoring an inspection of the site was conducted on 8 November 2007 by Dr Ian Mitchell (Geological Survey of Northern Ireland) and Professor Marshall McCabe (University of Ulster, Coleraine). This inspection of the geological context of the site concluded that the till in which the Early Middle Palaeolithic flint object was found was deposited by an ice sheet during the last glaciations, about 16,000 years Before Present (BP). It is considered most likely that the ice sheet that covered this area originated from the west of Scotland and during its maximum development had travelled across the North Channel and landed on the east coast of County Antrim before moving southwards into the northern part of County Down and the Newtownards area.

Based on the glacial deposits on the south slope of Field 2, it is likely that the flint implement recovered at the site originated from this deposit and could have been transported for a significant distance, perhaps from the eastern part of County Antrim or even from the west coast of Scotland.

After excavation of the stone drain and the burnt-stone spread and monitoring of the topsoil-stripping and the geological inspection, no further archaeological features or deposits in the three fields associated with the proposed development were identified.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth