County: Down Site name: A1 Scheme 1, Newry, Lisduff – Site 21
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DOW040–036 Licence number: AE/08/155
Author: Warren Bailie and Ros Ó Maoldúin, for ADS Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Prehistoric activity
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 709777m, N 832355m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.228294, -6.316337
This site was uncovered during monitoring of topsoil removal 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). This site comprised two separate areas of investigation situated at the north and south edge of an area approximately 100m by 170m. This site was located 100m east of the main A1 development north of the Sheepbridge compound. The areas of investigation were allocated letters A and B to facilitate ease of discussion.
Area A measured c. 15m by 15m and was located on the eastern fringe of an extensive bog area. The archaeology in this area consisted of a burnt mound with three possibly associated pits. One of these pits contained a split log of unknown wood type. This piece of wood was situated in the base of this possible trough and therefore was deposited during the period when the pit was open. The site was truncated by a series of post-medieval drains.
Area B measured c. 10m by 12m and was situated on a west-facing slope overlooking an extensive bog area as well as Area A. The archaeology in this area consisted of four pits of varying size. The largest contained five fills, with the upper fill containing 105 sherds of prehistoric pottery.
