2011:124 - LONGLAND ROAD QUARRY, TEENAGHT, CLAUDY, Derry

The indicative layout for test trenching was followed for much of the area, but the distance between the trenches was widened where the fields were very steep and narrowed where the fields were flat. Only two potential archaeological features were identified during this process, and the areas around these two features were widened. This revealed four more archaeological features in close proximity to the two already identified. As no other archaeological material was encountered, excavation of the six features then proceeded.

The first area (Area 1, grid ref. 257450 405103) comprised three small pits, one of which contained a small broken sherd of Bronze Age pottery. The second area (Area 2, grid ref. 257400 405113) comprised two small pits and one short linear ditch; no artefacts were recovered from this feature.

Area 1 comprised three small pits, C4, C6 and C8. These pits were suboval, with steep sides and irregular bases, and appeared to have been roughly dug into the gravel subsoil. C4 was 0.6m long, 0.4m wide and 0.12m deep, and was filled with charcoal-flecked dark brown gravelly silt. C6 was 0.5m long, 0.3m wide and 0.22m deep. C8 had a diameter of 0.4m and was 0.2m deep. Both C6 and C8 were filled by dark brown, slightly burnt gravel. A small broken sherd of Bronze Age pottery was recovered from the fill of C4.

Widening the topsoil-stripping in this area revealed no evidence for further archaeological features and it is likely that these three features were the remains of a small temporary campsite. The pottery indicates that these features date from the Bronze Age. There was not enough charcoal within the three pits to allow for an accurate radiocarbon determination.

Area 2 comprised two small pits, C10 and C12, and a linear ditch, C14. C10 was roughly circular, with shallow sloping sides; it had a diameter of 0.23m and a depth of 0.1m. C12 was roughly oval, with shallow sloping sides to the east, while to the west it deepened to form a shallow circular hollow; it was 0.5m long, 0.25m wide and 0.13m deep. C14 was a linear ditch with steep sides and was 1.7m long, 0.3m wide and 0.15m deep. The southern extremity continued outside of the proposed quarrying area and remained unexcavated.

All three features were filled with dark brown gravelly silt. This material was identical to the removed topsoil and would indicate that these features were of relatively modern origin, possibly resulting from some form of agricultural improvements within the field.

Northern Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, Farset Enterprise Park, 638 Springfield Road, Belfast BT12 7DY