2010:200 - Craigantlet Quarry, Craingantlet, Down

Monitoring took place of topsoil-stripping relating to Phase 1 of a proposed extension to quarrying at Tarmac Quarry, Craigantlet, Co. Down. During the course of monitoring, archaeological remains were uncovered within the northern portion of the site consisting of two possible domestic structures with associated peripheral activity, and an area of cooking pits to the west. Three discrete areas (Areas 1–3) of subsurface archaeological remains were identified within the northern and north-western portion of the site, covering an area approximately 45m north-west/south-east by 35m.
In Area 1 the remains of two badly truncated hut structures were identified. Hut Structure 1 survived as a subcircular structure, which measured approximately 8m north-east/south-west by 7m. The eastern side of this structure contained a curvilinear bedding trench, set along a rough semicircular shape, enclosing an area containing a small number of pits, a central post-hole and a collection of stake-holes. A number of large pits were uncovered along the western side of the structure; their exact function is as yet unclear. Several stake-holes were also identified within the eastern side of the structure and may indicated additional supporting structural stakes. Numerous fragments of prehistoric pottery, as well as fragments of struck flint including a small number of hollow scrapers, were recovered from within this structure. Hut Structure 2 was more semicircular in shape with a curvilinear bedding trench along its eastern and south-eastern side, enclosing an area 3.5–4m long north-east/south-west. As with Hut Structure 1, no bedding trench was identified along the western side of the structure. One central post-hole was uncovered, suggesting a hut structure with a pitched roof sloping towards the bedding trench. One small stake-hole was uncovered from within the structure. A number of prehistoric pottery fragments were also recovered from both the bedding trench and also the central post-hole.
In Area 2 five small subsoil-cutting pits were identified to the north of Hut Structure 1, along with a stake-hole and a larger pit to the west. While the small pits and the stake-hole each contained a small amount of charcoal, no datable artefacts were recovered from this area, and no apparent structure was visible.
Area 3 consisted of four cooking pits located in an area of heavy clay subsoil along a north-west-sloping gradient, downslope and 17–23m to the west of Areas 1 and 2. Two of the cooking pits were quite substantial in size, while two were smaller. All four pits contained large amounts of fragmented burnt stone within a black sandy silty clay, with moderate charcoal flecking. The largest, measuring 2.4m long north-west/south-east and 1.9m wide by 0.55m in depth, contained three distinct deposits, each containing large quantities of burnt stone and charcoal flecks, indicating multiple uses as a cooking pit. While a small amount of burnt-mound material was evident from the area surrounding the four pits, it was mostly deposited within natural depressions. No datable artefacts were recovered from this area.
Finds recovered from the hut sites indicate a later Neolithic/early Bronze Age date for the occupation remains uncovered.