2009:197 - MAYDOWN/CARRAKEEL/UPPER CAMPSIE/TULLY/MCLEAN AND PARTNERS DIVISION/COOLAFINNY/LONGFIELD MORE/LONGFIELD BEG, Derry

A watching brief revealed twelve archaeological sites along a 6km stretch of new road: the A2 Maydown to City of Derry Airport dualling scheme.

Site 1, Upper Campsie
Site 1 was divided into three separate areas, Areas A–C. In Area A nine features (six pits and three linear features) were excavated in total. The pits produced a variety of ceramic and lithic finds thought to be datable to the Neolithic period.

Two Neolithic houses were found in close proximity to each other in Area B. House 1 measured c. 13m by 6m internally and was orientated roughly north–south. The north and south gables each extended beyond the road-take and therefore were not excavated. The foundation trenches measured c. 0.8m in width and up to 1.1m in depth. Post-holes were identified flanking the interior and exterior of the east and west foundation trenches. A whole smashed pot was found in one of the external postholes. A number of post-pipes were found within the foundation trenches. Four internal divisions and a small number of internal non-structural features were identified. House 2 measured c. 10m by 6.5m internally and was orientated roughly north-northeast/south-south-west. The north-north-east gable was within the road take and the entrance was located at its the eastern end. The foundation trenches measured c. 0.5m in width and up to 0.55m in depth. A small number of discernible post-pipes were found within the foundation trenches. Postholes flanked the exterior of the long axis foundation trenches. One internal division and a small number of internal non-structural features were identified. A large assemblage of early Neolithic pottery sherds and an assortment of lithics, including a porcellanite axe, were recovered from the features on Area B.

On Area C a total of nine features, seven postholes, one pit and an irregular-shaped refuse pit containing several recuts which was subsequently used as a hearth, were identified. The post-holes were set in a semicircular arrangement running into the northern site boundary. The pit and hearth feature were located on the interior of the semicircle of posts. This is thought to be one half of a round house. These features produced a variety of prehistoric ceramic and lithic finds.

Site 2, McLean and partners division
Site 2 was divided into three areas, A, B and C, each comprising a small cluster of assorted pits. None of these clusters of pits formed an obvious coherent pattern. Many of the features on Site 2 were heavily truncated by recent agricultural activity. The lithic finds attest to the prehistoric origins of this site.

Site 3, Coolafinny
Site 3 comprised a total of seven assorted pits that formed an obvious coherent pattern. Finds included struck flints, a quartz core and struck pieces and a large assemblage of prehistoric pottery, some with impressed cord decoration.

Site 4, Longfield More
Site 4 comprised an area measuring c. 70m by 15m, containing a large ring-ditch and an assortment of associated interior and exterior discrete features. Feature [c.17] is the cut of a penannular ring-ditch measuring c. 30m in diameter, 1.6m in maximum width and 0.5m in depth. It contained ten fills. A small number of flint and pottery finds were recovered from the fills, along with samples of cremated bone and possible iron slag (it is possible that this may be iron pan). The entrance into the interior is through a 5m-wide gap opening to the south-east. A large pit cut [c.18] is located close to the southernmost terminus and measured 1.25m in length, 1m in width and 0.2m in depth and contained three fills. Cremated bone, pottery and flint finds were recovered from the fills. A number of pits and post-holes were excavated across the site. A large assemblage of prehistoric pottery and flint artefacts were recovered from the excavation of this site.

Site 5, Maydown
Site 5 comprised two isolated pits and was divided into two areas due to the distance between the features. Pit cut [c.05] is circular in shape. It measured 0.5m in diameter and 0.13m in depth. It contained two deposits, dark-brown sandy clay containing abundant charcoal and cremated bone and a flat stone placed in the base of the pit representing a lining deposit. Pit cut [c.07] is sub-oval in shape. It measured 1m in length, 0.65m in width and 0.11m in depth. It contained a single fill which was made up of silty sand mixed with charcoal and heat-affected stones.

Site 6, Upper Campsie
Site 6 comprised four separate areas of archaeological features (A–D) located over a large area expanse. Areas A, B and D consisted of a large number of discrete features, including spreads, pits and cremation pits. One pit containing the base stone of a possible cist was found in close proximity to a pit containing the remains of a large urn, which was block lifted. A moderate assemblage of prehistoric pottery and flint artefacts was recovered.

On Area C six circular post-hole cuts were identified. They measured on average 0.55m in diameter and 0.32m in depth. These post-holes formed a semicircular shape with an internal diameter of c. 8m. The remainder of this circle lies beyond the southern baulk of the site.

Site 7, Tully
In Area A, a small subrectangular enclosure comprising a narrow gully measuring 0.5m in width and 0.42m in depth and with no obvious entrance was excavated. The enclosure had internal measurements of 8.8m in length and 5.9m in width. It contained ten fills. The fills are uniform on the north, south and west sides with most irregularity and localisation of fills on the eastern side. It is on the eastern sides that a possible flint scraper and numerous pieces of vitrified clay were found.

In Area B, four small post-holes form a more or less straight line. One flint blade and a piece of flint debitage were found on the surface close to these features.

Site 8, Tully
The remains of a burnt mound and a large number of associated stake-holes, post-holes and pits were enclosed by a penannular ditch, which measured c. 25m in internal diameter. The site is heavily truncated by north-north-east to south-south-east and east-north-east to west-south-west extending modern stone-filled drains and plough furrows. All features of an archaeological nature are located within the area enclosed by the penannular ditch, with the exception of a pit which is located c. 3.5m east of the ditch terminus. A total of 102 stake-holes, 27 postholes and 5 pits were identified and excavated on this site. One pit may have contained a trough associated with the burnt mound. A small amount of prehistoric pottery and flint finds were recovered from the features on this site.

Site 9, Longfield More
Site 9 was located just north-west of Site 4, on slightly raised ground overlooking a bend in the Muff River. A rectangular structure, potentially part of a Neolithic house, measuring c. 6m in length and 4m in width, was uncovered close to the edge of the existing A2 road.

Located c. 0.4m south-south-east of the Neolithic structure is a small timber circle consisting of two almost concentric circular enclosures surrounded to the south by a narrow and shallow semicircular gully. This semicircular gully, although not concentric with the circular enclosures, appears to surround the southern part of the outer circle. The semicircular gully may have been an attempt to add a third circle to the outer circular enclosure, but it does not appear to run beyond the southern part of the site.

The outer circle measures c. 15m in diameter, with a west-facing entrance measuring c. 0.5m. The circle is of a composite construction. The southern half is made up of a continuous semicircular gully measuring c. 0.35m in width and 0.35m in depth. The gully terminates at the southern side of the entrance, with the other side of the entrance being made up of a stake driven into the subsoil. From this point the northern half of the circle consists of a semicircle of stakes measuring c. 0.2m in diameter and 0.28m in depth. The stakes are closely spaced, c. 0.1–0.15m apart on average.

The gap between the two circles is c. 2m in the north, west and eastern sides and slightly larger in the south, as the circles are not fully concentric. A small number of stake-holes and pits are visible in the gap close to the entrances. The inner circle measures c. 11m in diameter, with a west-facing entrance measuring c. 0.4m. The circle is made up of a penannular gully similar in dimensions to the outer gully, with a west-north-west-facing entrance.

A number of internal and external discrete features were also identified. A small number of Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery sherds and flint pieces including a concave scraper were recovered from the surface cleaning of this site. This site is closely associated with Site 4. It was not excavated and is preserved in situ.

Site 10, Longfield Beg
Site 10 comprises approximately one-third of a penannular ringfort ditch with numerous internal and external features. A large number of linear features consisting of east to west and north to south plough furrows, field drains and field boundaries were observed on the site. A large volume of these features were evaluated and deemed to be of no archaeological consequence. The circular ditch of a univallate ringfort with an internal diameter of c. 35m and north-east facing entrance was uncovered immediately adjacent to the existing A2 road. The ditch measures c. 2m in width and 0.8m in depth.

A number of pits and post-holes located outside the ditch were also excavated. A small assemblage of pottery and flint, as well as three broken rotary quernstones, were found during the excavation of this site. The ringfort was only partly excavated and is preserved in situ.

Site 11, Carrakeel
A cluster of twelve features, including eleven pits and one area of in situ burning, were excavated to assess their archaeological significance. These features were understood to have resulted from agricultural clearance and by root disturbance. No finds were recovered from this site. None of these features were deemed to be of archaeological consequence.

Site 12, Upper Campsie
A number of linear and discrete features were identified clustered throughout the site. These included field boundaries, hearths, pits, post-holes and a possible keyhole kiln. Further south-east the foundations of a probable Neolithic house were identified close to Area B of Site 1. It measured c. 15m by 8m internally and was orientated approximately west-north-west/east-south-east. An entrance was identified at the centre of the south-east long axis foundation trench. A number of internal and external features were identified, including structural postholes, hearths and pits. None of the features on this site were excavated, as this site was preserved in situ.