2009:038 - DUNSILLY, Antrim

It is proposed to construct a centre of excellence on the Ballymena Road, Dunsilly, Co. Antrim. An archaeological evaluation was conducted under licence AE/09/47, in which 26 test-trenches were excavated using a back-actor fitted with a toothless bucket. During this evaluation a large concentration of archaeological features was uncovered.
Under licence AE/09/160, the archaeology identified during the evaluation was excavated and topsoil was removed across the entire site with two back-actors fitted with toothless buckets. The main archaeological features included two raths, a subrectangular barrow and two fulachta fiadh.
The large rath in the centre of the site had a diameter of c. 47m and a ditch which varied in width from 4.5m to 6m. The centre of the rath had been raised using upcast material giving the interior a slightly mounded appearance. A test-trench was excavated through this upcast material to assess if there were archaeological deposits beneath it. A series of nine test-trenches were excavated through the rath ditch at c. 8m intervals. An entrance into the structure was located in the south-east of the rath. A wealth of internal features were uncovered and excavated, including numerous post-holes, stake-holes, pits, spreads and gullies. Many artefacts were recovered from these internal features, such as a stone crucible, a bronze pin, part of a lignite bracelet, half of a blue glass bead, a perforated whetstone and a rough-out of a stone axe as well as many sherds of souterrain pottery and worked flint. There were at least two phases of occupation within the rath. A possible stone platform for a house from the later phase was uncovered, which when removed overlay a small souterrain that was cut into a backfilled earlier ditch. This earlier ditch was only located in the east; it had been completely removed elsewhere when the later ditch was dug. A series of six test-trenches were excavated through this earlier ditch.
A subrectangular feature was located to the south of the large rath. It has been preliminarily identified as a barrow with a central mound surrounded by a large ditch. The barrow extended 17.3m northeast/south-west by 16m. A series of eleven test-trenches were excavated through the ditch of the barrow, with another trench extending through the central mound to establish if any archaeological materials survived beneath. There were no internal features present within the mound.
The first fulacht fiadh was located in the southeast of the east field, adjacent to the river boundary. It consisted of a thin spread c. 17m by 5m. The second fulacht fiadh was located in the north of the east field and measured c. 13m by 8m. The remains of a trough were located beneath this spread. It measured c. 5m by 3m.
The remains of a second rath were also uncovered in this field. It extended beyond the limits of excavation in the north-east of the site and had a diameter of c. 35m. A series of 6m by 2m-wide test-trenches were excavated every 4m along the ditch and struck flint artefacts and sherds of souterrain pottery were uncovered. A number of internal features were located within this rath. They included a central curvilinear house slot and five pits. Mary Johnston and