County: Down Site name: Mullabrack
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/10/105
Author: Warren Bailie and Eoin Halpin, Archaeological Development Services, Unit 6, Channel Wharf, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Possible prehistoric activity
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 707434m, N 846699m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.357625, -6.347109
The archaeological deposits investigated under this licence were uncovered during the construction of a 12.5km gas pipeline by Bord Gáis Éireann (NI), running between Kernan, near Gilford in County Down, and the townland of Derryhale in County Armagh. The topsoil-stripping was monitored by ADS Ltd between 29 April and 19 May 2010. The 24m-wide pipeline corridor crossed a total of twelve townlands, eleven of which revealed archaeological deposits; this bulletin summarises the investigations carried out over approximately 0.3km of the pipeline in the townland of Mullabrack. These investigations took place between 21 and 30 June 2010.
There were two areas of archaeology uncovered during topsoil-stripping of the pipeline corridor in this townland. The first of these, located at 307506 346697, was a large irregular-shaped feature of unknown date or function which was overlain by a layer of peat.
The second area of archaeology, situated at 307439 346728, was a large subrectangular pit, also overlain by an accumulation of organic material. In both areas there was extensive post-medieval drainage, possibly to counteract the accumulation of peat across the area.
A general prehistoric date is tentatively given for this activity, based on the accumulation of peat over the features.
