2008:349 - Brokerstown, Lisburn, Down

The proposed development is situated on the western outskirts of Lisburn and will result in the erection of 359 terraced, detached and semi-detached dwellings with associated infrastructure and areas of landscaping. There will be a new access road, from the Knockmore Road, which will include two road bridges over an existing east–west-running sheugh. Phase 2 investigations took place between 10 November and 19 December 2008.
Phase 2 of this site involved the topsoil-stripping of an area measuring c. 80m by 150m. There were three separate areas of archaeological activity uncovered. A total of 93 deposits were recorded during investigations.
The archaeology included a circular structural arrangement of post- and stake-holes with three outlying pits in Area 1. This structure measured c. 7m in diameter and was open to the north-west and was located within 4m of a previously excavated 6m-diameter ring-ditch during Phase 1 of this development. This ring-ditch also had an entrance facing north-west. The proximity of these two sites and their similarity in structure and entrance orientation suggest they may be contemporary and of possible Bronze Age date.
Areas 3 revealed scattered pitting activity with a 3m-long double stake-hole arrangement possibly situated in the vicinity. This may represent the remains of a small windbreak.
Area 1 revealed more pitting activity with two pits in particular showing evidence of function. The first of these contained burnt stones and showed layers of concentrated charcoal. This feature may be the remains of a cooking pit, evident by the burnt stones that are usually associated with heating water in a trough in a fulacht fiadh.
The other pit showed evidence of being used as a pit-fall animal trap. This feature was rectangular in shape with vertical sides and contained the remains of a wooden structure that would have spanned the upper edge of the pit. The wooden structure consisted of two pieces of worked wood that would have stood upright suspending the ends of two longer pieces of worked timber that reach the end of the pit. One of these longer pieces of wood had a mortise hole at one end which may have served a purpose in this trap or may be evidence of reused timber. This structure of timbers would have then supported more superficial branches and shrubbery to obscure the pit. The fills immediately overlying the worked wood contained a row of five pig molars in situ, prehistoric pottery sherds, waterlogged seeds and the remains of thin branches and twigs around the edges of the base.

Editor’s note: This site should have been listed under County Antrim.