2010:025 - Woodburn, Carrickfergus, Antrim

The proposed development consists of the construction of a new supermarket on the existing carpark of the former Courtaulds Factory site. The site is located to the west of Carrickfergus, approximately 1km from the historic core settlement of the town, and lies in an archaeologically sensitive area, with the ecclesiastic site of the former Woodburn Abbey (ANT054–031) located to the immediate north-east.
Monitoring of the groundworks took place from 26 August to 27 October 2010 and were carried out using a machine fitted with a toothless bucket working under constant supervision. Groundworks began with the excavation of the foundations of the shop floor and ramped loading/unloading area to formation level of 1.5m. Excavation of the foundation trench revealed raised beach deposits at a depth of 0.7m below present ground level. These deposits contained water-rolled struck flints, which were retained for inspection and later identified as residual water-rolled flint of later Mesolithic date (Peter Woodman, pers. comm.). The raised beach deposits were overlain with modern hardcore and tarmac. No in situ archaeological deposits were recorded in the excavation of the building foundation trench.
Mechanical excavation of the drainage followed, starting in the north-west corner of the site and continuing anticlockwise outside the shop floor sales area, finishing in the north-east of the site. Two areas of archaeological potential were uncovered on the south-eastern edge of the site and labelled Area 1 and Area 2. Full investigation proved these to be a modern pit and a black clay deposit lying within the later Mesolithic gravels.
In Area 1, skeletal remains of a small dog were recovered from a pit uncovered almost 1m below present ground level immediately underlying the modern hardcore. It is likely that this is a modern burial of a once-loved pet.
Area 2 lay approximately 25m south-east of the southern edge of the building foundation and comprised a small deposit of black silty clay with frequent charcoal flecks uncovered c. 1.5m below present ground level. As uncovered, the deposit measured 2.7m north–south by 2.3m by 0.1m thick and continued beyond the southern limit of excavation. The deposit overlay a raised beach deposit and underlay a layer of dark-brown sand. This sand underlay a number of sandy/gravelly deposits, from which a number of water-rolled flints were recovered. Given their similarity to those inspected by Woodman, it is likely that these are also later Mesolithic in date.
Four small pieces of burnt bone were recovered from this deposit. Given their location among Mesolithic gravels, it is likely these are animal bone.