2010:231 - Cashel Quarry, Ouley, Down

Test-trenching was carried out in advance of Phase 1 of a quarry extension at Cashel Quarry, Co. Down. While the bulk of the proposed extension area proved sterile of archaeological remains, an area of archaeological activity was identified along the summit of the high drumlin within the south-west portion of the development area. Subsequent monitored topsoil-stripping within this area identified two distinct areas of archaeological activity. Within the northern portion of the site the remains of a small ring-ditch cemetery were uncovered, consisting of a line of annular ring-ditches (2.25m, 4.7m, 1.84m internal diameters), each containing a central cremation burial, set along a north-west/south-east orientation. Within the southern portion of the excavation area, a third larger ring-ditch (5.84m internal diameter) was identified along with a number of simple pit cremation burials. Subsequent hand excavation prior to quarrying confirmed the existence of the four ring-ditch burials as well as a further seven simple pit cremations and a largely intact urn cremation burial. Excavation of the larger ring-ditch revealed that, unlike the smaller ring-ditches, it consisted of a penannular ditch with an entrance to the east which truncated an earlier rectangular post-hole structure. This ring-ditch also contained the remains of five elongated subsoil grave-cuts, each sterile of any human remains, with the exception of one molar tooth recovered from the southernmost grave. A further six grave-cuts of varying degrees of truncation were also uncovered to the east and north-east of the ring-ditch.