2011:031 - ANTRIM TECHNOLOGY PARK, MOYLINNEY, Antrim

The proposed development site is located at the Antrim Technology Park on the southern outskirts of Antrim and is within an archaeologically sensitive area, with twelve recorded sites within a 1km radius. One of these sites (ANT050-140) is within the boundaries of the proposed development. This site, however, has been found not to be an antiquity but rather a natural feature.

The development site was tested via an agreed series of trenches in February 2011. Thirty-three trenches were excavated across the site and four of these revealed ten deposits of archaeological potential, including pits and post-holes. One deposit, however, appeared to be a slightly curving linear ditch and was visible in three test trenches. In April 2011 excavations were undertaken in three areas.

Area 1 comprised the western half of the site, measuring 52m by 25m, and consisted of a slightly curving linear ditch and a scatter of pits and post-holes, as well as a number of modern features. Further investigations of the linear ditch revealed that it had two fills but no laminations or silted deposits, therefore indicating that much of the material was formed during a discrete episode of backfill. Given the proximity of the western boundary of two dwelling houses marked on the 6th-edition OS 6in. map, it seems likely that this feature was associated with that boundary. The pits and post-holes discovered in Area 1 were widely scattered and did not form any recognisable structure or pattern.

Two pits in the south-east of the area contained traces of prehistoric activity at the site. The first was a subcircular steep-sided pit measuring 0.55m by 0.5m by 0.22m with a flat, circular base. The pit contained two fills; the basal fill was a friable, dark orange-brown, clayey silt redeposit of subsoil, which presumably formed during the digging of the pit; the upper fill was a friable, dark blackish-brown deposit of silt with occasional charcoal flecks, unsorted gravels and small angular stones. The upper fill contained 35 sherds of a large prehistoric pottery vessel and seven worked flint objects. The pottery had a coarsely textured fabric, and numerous large and very thick basal sherds were found. It is possible that the pit was dug to contain the vessel represented by these sherds and that its upper fill was directly derived from the material of the vessel and its contents.

A second prehistoric pit, 0.7m north-east of the first pit, measured 0.6m by 0.5m by 0.2m and was vaguely aligned north-west to south-east. It had steep, slightly concave sides and a flat oval base and contained three fills. The basal fill was a moderately compacted, 0.05m-thick layer of dark greyish-brown silt. It contained occasional charcoal flecks and fine gravels but no artefacts. Sealing this layer was a deposit of friable orange-brown silty clay. This layer was mainly confined to the south-western half of the feature and was clearly a redeposit of subsoil. It contained twelve sherds of prehistoric pottery from at least two different vessels and four flint tools but no visible organic material. Above this was a layer of friable blackish-brown silt that contained occasional unsorted gravels and angular stones, three sherds of prehistoric pottery and nine pieces of struck flint. Two other isolated post-holes, a small pit and a larger oval pit were also uncovered scattered across the area, although none produced datable artefacts.

Area 2 comprised the south-western corner of the topsoil area and contained a hearth and two pits clustered in a 5m by 2m area. The hearth was circular, 0.44m in diameter and 0.22m deep. It had smooth, straight sides and contained two fills. The lower fill consisted of redeposited subsoil mixed with occasional charcoal fragments that may have been worked downwards through root action. The upper fill was a 0.09m-thick layer of moderately compacted, brownish-red oxidised sandy clay that also contained moderately frequent flecks of charcoal. The charcoal and the red oxidised clay suggested in situ burning.

Two pits lay immediately north of the hearth. One was a steep-sided circular pit, 0.6m in diameter and 0.18m deep. It contained two fills; the basal fill was a moderately compact, brown sandy clay layer 0.08m thick, with occasional charcoal flecks. The upper fill consisted of redeposited subsoil, 0.1m thick, and contained very occasional charcoal flecks. The other was a subcircular pit, measuring 0.59m by 0.55m in plan and 0.18m deep. It was vaguely aligned north to south, had steep, smooth sides and a flat circular base.

Area 3 consisted of the north-western part of the topsoil-stripped area and the archaeological deposits uncovered consisted of an east–west alignment of a post-hole and two pits. The post-hole was oval in plan, aligned north-east to south-west, and measured 0.55m by 0.42m by 0.25m. It had very steep to vertical sides and a flat, oval base. Its fill was a moderately compact, orange-brown silty clay, very similar to the natural subsoil but slightly darker in tone, with occasional fine gravel. One metre west of the post-hole was a small bowl-shaped pit, 0.35m by 0.25m by 0.04m deep. Its fill was a deposit of silty clay containing moderate amounts of gravel. Two metres further west was a second, larger pit. This was suboval in plan, aligned east–west, and measured 0.66m by 0.56m by 0.17m deep. It had smooth, steep sides, although its northern and western sides were somewhat irregular. Its fill was a friable deposit of silty clay.  None of these features produced datable artefacts.

Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Unit 6 Channel Wharf, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast BT3 9DE