County: Tyrone Site name: Grange, Area 8
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/08/62
Author: James McKee and Ingela Ericsson, for ADS Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Prehistoric pits and stake-holes; post-medieval wall foundation
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 566404m, N 850290m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.400100, -8.517380
This site 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 alignment’s width. 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.
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping identified a number of possible archaeological features located on a south-east-facing slope within the road-take at Chainage location 470–490. The extent of Area 8 measured c. 20m by 10m. Two shallow charcoal-rich pits cut by a modern plough furrow were located in the north-western part of the site and excavation revealed lithics and prehistoric pottery. An irregular cluster of ten stake-holes was located to the south and the truncated remains of a post-medieval wall foundation were located in the western central parts of the site. Finds included prehistoric pottery and lithics (three flint blades and debitage) and came exclusively from the two pits. The features did not form a discernible pattern.
