County: Tyrone Site name: Armalughey, area 18
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/08/78
Author: Frank Mallon, for ADS Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Prehistoric structures
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 666566m, N 856096m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.449020, -6.973619
Area 18 was investigated as part of the proposed corridor improvements of the line of the A4 between Dungannon and Ballygawley where 15km of new road will be constructed. A total of 43 SMR sites lie within 500m of either side of the new road alignments. In general these sites date to the Early Christian period, with many raths, enclosures and a number of ecclesiastical sites represented. However, prehistoric activity, both settlement and ritual, is poorly represented.
Area 18 was located between Chainages 1620 and 1850 and covered an area measuring 230m by 50m. Four distinct groups of features where identified. In addition, a number of outlying solitary archaeological features were also located.
Group 1 consisted of a series of post-holes and pits located in the south-east quadrant of Area 18. The pits contained some charcoal in their fill and occasional finds of coarseware pottery (some decorated with linear striations on their external face) were found.
Group 2 was located c. 30m west of Group 1 and was a series of small pits and post-holes. Finds included coarseware pottery, flint scrapers and flint debitage.
Group 3 was located in the north-east quadrant of Area 18 close to the Armalauhgey road and was a series of small circular pits. One of these pits produced a large base sherd and several pieces of body sherd which overlay a small quantity of very small pieces of burnt bone (this may have been the poorly preserved remains of a cremation deposit in a pottery vessel).
Group 4 was located roughly in the centre of Area 18 at the southern limit of excavation. The main features here included a circular ring-ditch (7.5m internal diameter) with central hearth/burnt area (which overlay a large post-hole which had flint debitage and occasional small fragments of burnt bone). The fill of the ditch contained no finds. Some possible post- and stake-holes were located within the ring-ditch. There was also a palisade trench with nine stake-holes along its base, orientated east–west, associated with a large pit which contained c. 150 pottery fragments and one complete base of a large vase/domestic kitchen ware. Of the outlying isolated features only one was of any significance. Located in the south-west quadrant of Area 18, on top of a small ridge, was a small, very shallow cremation pit which contained a small amount of charcoal and burnt bone (heavily truncated by ploughing activity).
