County: Tyrone Site name: Tullyallen, areas 47–51
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/07/213
Author: James McKee, for ADS Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Prehistoric structure/possible ring-barrow, pits and post-/stake-holes
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 671722m, N 860484m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.487736, -6.893060
Areas 47–51 were found between Chainages 10300 and 10835 and excavated under the monitoring licence 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 with five industrial heritage sites in the immediate vicinity. Prior to archaeological investigations on the route, prehistoric activity, both settlement and ritual, was poorly represented in the area.
Area 47 had been subdivided into two areas separated by c. 25m. The western part measured roughly 4m by 6m and contained three small pits. The eastern area measured c. 10m by 17m and was found to contain a circular ditch. The ditch enclosed an area of roughly 5m in diameter and most likely represented the remains of a ring-barrow. The northern part of the ditch had been cut by a modern drain with a roughly north–south orientation.
Area 48 was located on the south-facing slope of a small drumlin. Measuring roughly 15m by 6.5m it comprised a modern drain at the western edge, a group of five small to medium-sized pits in the central parts, one containing several pieces of flint debitage. Three small pits and part of a larger, roughly linear feature were uncovered at the eastern part of the site.
Area 49 measured roughly 20m by 20m. The features excavated probably represent six possible medium to larger-sized pits, of which only the three in the south-eastern half contained lithics; one of them had around seven pieces of tools and debitage. The features could be interpreted as the remains of a prehistoric working area which continued beyond the limits of the road-take towards the north-east.
Area 50 measured 15m by 10m and was situated on the southern edge of a relatively steep slope. Four pit features of unknown date were discovered including a modern drain running on the northern edge of the site in a north-east/south-west direction.
Area 51 measured c. 10m by 5m and consisted of three pits, four stake-holes and a post-hole. The post- and stake-holes were arranged in a roughly linear alignment running south-west/north-east in the south-western corner of Area 51. There were no additional structures discovered around them. The only find of the site was a flake of flint recovered in one of the stake-holes.
