County: Antrim Site name: Divis Barn
Sites and Monuments Record No.: Not in SMR Licence number: AE/13/69
Author: HENRY WELSH AND RUTH LOGUE
Site type: Vernacular house
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 727174m, N 874346m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.601354, -6.031698
A small-scale research excavation was carried out at within the National Trust Divis and Black Mountain property at the site of a proposed car park in Divis townland, County Antrim, between 22 April and 17 May 2013. The excavation was undertaken by staff from the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, Queen’s University, Belfast (CAF), in collaboration with the Belfast Hills Partnership, Northern Ireland Environment Agency: Built Heritage (now Historic Environment Division: Department for Communities) and the National Trust. This project was largely funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and involved a significant public outreach element.
A small excavation team from CAF was augmented by volunteers from the Ulster Archaeological Society, students from Queen’s University Belfast and members of the general public. Many local primary and secondary schools, conservation volunteers and community groups visited the site and almost 1,000 people participated in the excavations. The excavation attracted widespread media attention, including television, radio and local newspapers.
A geophysical survey of the site was carried out immediately prior to the excavation and indicated several anomalies in the development area. Small test pits were situated over four of the geophysical anomalies and one, at the south-eastern corner of the site, revealed a rectangular stone platform. This was interpreted as the foundation of a vernacular building and preliminary analysis of the finds and cartographic evidence suggest this may be of early 18th-century date, extending into the early 19th century. Finds included prehistoric flint artefacts and flakes and a range of pottery sherds and clay pipe fragments. A complete glass ink pot was also recovered.
It is hoped that the excavation has added significantly to the archaeological archive of the site and promoted a greater awareness of the rich heritage of the Belfast Hills, encouraging people to value, engage with and look after the hills area and its heritage.
Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, QUB, Belfast
