2008:066 - A1 Scheme 1, Newry, Lisdrumliska/Altnaveigh – Site 19, Armagh

This site was uncovered during topsoil monitoring in advance of the construction of a new bypass around Newry, Co. Down/Armagh (A1 road improvement scheme, Beech Hill, Co. Down, to Cloghogue, Co. Armagh). Site 19 was located in the townlands of Lisdrumliska and Altnaveigh, Co. Armagh. It extended some 760m across undulating ground between Chainage 9600 and 10630.
Nearby is the site of a possible large enclosure (ARM026–027) situated west of the existing Newry bypass, south of Bernish Road. Aerial photographs show a ring of white, c. 100m in diameter, which might suggest that there had been a bank at this point. No features were seen during the field inspection in 2004. The site would not be directly affected by the proposed scheme, as it would be c. 80m to the east of the proposed realignment works to the Bernish Road. It is possible, however, that outlying features or related features may be affected
The site was identified during monitoring by Peter Bowen under licence number AE/07/172 and comprised nine areas that were noted and fenced during that phase. Further examination and test excavation proved that only one of these areas (Area 1) contained remains of definite archaeological significance. Those remains comprised a crescent-shaped burnt mound and associated features. One other (Area 7) contained an ephemeral burnt spread potentially of archaeological origin.
Area 1 was located either side of a small north-easterly-flowing stream, situated at and adjacent to the base of a north-facing slope. Remains comprised a burnt mound and associated features truncated by a series of drains and stream meanders situated at the base of the slope, and a scatter of badly truncated features situated on the adjacent north-facing slope.
Remains to the south of the modern stream course were designated Area 1A and those to the north were Area 1B.
In Area 1A, two post-medieval stone-filled drains traversed the site on a north-east/south-west alignment, parallel to the current course of the stream. Both drains were contained within a large flat-bottomed cut, also of post-medieval origin and probably associated with their construction. In Area 1B an east–west-oriented drain, of similar construction to those in Area 1A, fed directly into the stream. The course of an old channel or stream meander ran along the base of the north-facing slope. It was c. 2.2m wide, 0.8m deep and traversed the extent of the site. Fills comprised a mixture of alluvial and colluvial silts and a peat layer.
After the initial clean a number of features were noted on the north-facing slope adjacent to the burnt-mound activity. Upon excavation, the majority proved to be of non-archaeological origin.
The remaining features comprised one post-hole and two pits. The post-hole projected vertically, 0.19m in diameter, and was filled with loosely compacted sandy silt. The first pit was oval, relatively shallow (0.06m), filled by sandy silt and was truncated by the second pit, which was oval in plan and contained two fills of sandy silt that both contained charcoal.
The burnt-mound material was located on the relatively flat ground at the base of the slope in Area 1A. A relatively upright mound was a classic crescent shape of heat-shattered stone, silty sand and charcoal, of which the majority of stone was granite. Two potential troughs were located within the arc of the burnt mound and filled by material identical to the fulacht mound. Both troughs were severely truncated by the post-medieval drainage features. The most southerly trough was east–west-orientated, oval in plan and had sides that broke suddenly to a flat base. The northerly trough was east–west-orientated, subrectangular in plan and had moderately sloping sides that broke sharply to a concave base. There was no evidence of lining, wood or otherwise on the sides or base of either potential trough. Three stake-holes were revealed by the removal of the mound material. They ranged between 0.05mm and 0.07mm in diameter and were filled by sandy clay containing charcoal flecks. Two projected in a north-westerly direction and the other was south-westerly.
To the north-west of the stream (Area 1B) an oval pit and a curvilinear channel were recorded. The channel was orientated from north-west to south-east and then east into the truncated location of the modern stream channel. It had gently sloping sides that broke gradually to an uneven base and had a basal peaty fill rich in charcoal, other organics and heat-shattered stone. Its final fill comprised peaty clay and also contained preserved organics. The pit appeared to cut through the upper fill and was in turn filled by heat-shattered stone, sandy silt and charcoal.
The only remains of potential archaeological merit, noted in Area 7, was a small (1.45m by 0.55m), shallow (0.03m), irregular-shaped burnt spread of silty sand and charcoal, containing occasional heat-shattered stone.