County: Antrim Site name: Sand Road, Galgorm, Ballymena
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/08/205
Author: Christopher J. Farrimond, FarrimondMacManus Ltd, 150 Elmvale, Culmore, Derry, BT48 8SL.
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 707941m, N 902659m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.860105, -6.318718
Test-trenching was carried out at a proposed residential development over a two-week period between December 2008 and January 2009. Testing uncovered three areas of archaeological potential located within the southern and northern portion of the site as well as identifying numerous plough furrows and field boundary ditches.
Three discrete areas of archaeological activity were uncovered within the southern portion of the site, consisting of four subsoil-cut pits. One sherd of prehistoric pottery recovered from one of these features is indicative of prehistoric occupation and it is possible further archaeological features may also survive.
Located within the northern portion of the site within a wide hollow was an area of deliberate stones deposition, c. 14m north-east/south-west by c. 7m, which overlay a series of stiff grey–black mottled clays. A small collection of subsoil-cut features located to the north-west of this large spread of material suggests there could be further archaeological features surviving nearby. No artefact material was recovered to date this collection of features.
The third area of archaeological potential consisted of two subsoil-cut pits, a small ditch-like feature that extended across the trench and a small area of spread material. This collection of features is suggestive of the remains of a possible occupation area, which may exist within the immediate surrounding area.
