2008:026 - 4 Main Street, Crumlin, Antrim

Archaeological evaluation was carried out on the site at 4 Main Street, Crumlin, Co. Antrim, in July and December 2008. The site is an irregularly shaped area measuring c. 280m north to south by 100m at its widest point, and comprising the former cattle market buildings and associated yard areas as well as the field to the south of the former cattle market. The proposed development is located within an archaeologically sensitive landscape, with twenty known sites within a 1km radius.
Phase 1
A total of eighteen evaluation trenches were excavated during Phase 1 of the works. Thirteen of the trenches were located in the southern field of the site and five were excavated within the northern front yard area. The trenches were excavated down to undisturbed natural deposits, which consisted of mid-orange silty clay with occasional stones in the southern areas of the site and well-sorted orange and grey gravels in a clayey matrix in the northern part of the site. The results of the evaluation have shown that possible archaeological cut features survive below the topsoil across the site, apart from the areas of modern disturbance. Extensive modern truncation was encountered in the south-eastern portion of the north yard. It is possible that the modern disturbance might be associated with gravel extraction and perhaps linked with construction of the nearby railway line. Further modern truncation in the form of service trenches was also encountered.
Several of the observed features, such as field drains, furrows and ditches, are likely be agricultural in origin. The alignment of the ditches and furrows would indicate that the features relate to at least three distinct phases of field systems, which are likely to range from late medieval/post-medieval to modern in date.
Phase 2
Two evaluation trenches and four extensions to Phase 1 trenches were excavated during Phase 2 of the works. All of these trenches were excavated within the northern front yard area, under the concrete slab and foundations of the recently demolished former cattle market buildings. Most of the observed features relate to the former cattle yard, such as concrete and ceramic sewerage pipes, with one large subsurface slurry/sewerage tank to hold waste from the cattle.
One archaeological feature was located in one of the trenches, a small pit that contained charcoal and one fragment of Bronze Age pottery. It is likely that this was an isolated feature, as trenches opened adjacent to this pit did not produce any archaeological features. The nearest known Bronze Age archaeology is a burial complex (ANT059–172), located just over 900m north-west of the site. The burial complex site was excavated in 1998. The investigations showed that the site was extensive and contained a ring-ditch with a central urn burial, further cist burials and other associated pits.