County: Antrim Site name: CHURCH BAY, RATHLIN ISLAND
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/09/069
Author: Stephen Gilmore, Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, Belfast, BT12 7DY.
Site type: Middens
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 714837m, N 915857m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.977093, -6.206104
Topsoil stripping was carried out in June 2009 as part of a planning application for holiday accommodation. Four spreads of charcoal-flecked midden material were uncovered. Two of the middens, C and D, measured c. 12.4m by 5m by 0.48m with an east–west orientation and 12.45m by 3m by 0.32m. The middens were composed of black silty sand with large stones throughout. Frequent fragments of well-preserved animal bone, some showing evidence of butchery, were scattered throughout the middens along with mollusc shells. A shallow hearth was noted at the base of Spread C. It was not possible to assign a time period to these middens.
Plan of spreads at Church Bay, Rathlin (No. 56).
