County: Tyrone Site name: RIVERS AGENCY OMAGH DEPOT, ST JULIAN’S ROAD, OMAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/09/177
Author: Johanna Vuolteenaho, Archaeological Development Services, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Peatland
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 645435m, N 873498m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.607699, -7.296711
An archaeological evaluation was carried out on the Rivers Agency Depot site at St Julian’s Road, Omagh, Co. Tyrone. After three of the proposed four evaluation trenches were opened up, it became clear that in situ peat deposits as well as possible timbers survived within the northern half of the site between 1.2m and 1.5m below present ground level. Following a consultation with the client and NIEA, it was concluded that these remains were better examined by opening a larger targeted area within the northern half of the site.
The results of the field evaluation have helped to refine the initial assessment of the archaeological potential of the site. The encountered wooden remains within the peat were at first thought to be archaeological in form and nature. However, further examination and assessment of the remains demonstrated that the regular form of the remains was largely coincidental and caused by later post-medieval peat-cutting activity. The wooden remains turned out to be natural and represent roots and fallen branches associated with a forest floor.
The peat cutting had been arranged in rectangular plots and may represent seasonal small-scale peat extraction. A few sherds of late post-medieval pottery and glass were encountered associated with the peat extraction, illustrating that this activity is likely to date to the last 300 years.
No further archaeological deposits or features were encountered during the evaluation.
