2013:163 - Killadroy A, Killadroy, Tyrone

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Tyrone Site name: Killadroy A, Killadroy

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/13/110

Author: Patricia Long

Site type: Possible kiln

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 652210m, N 861985m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.503604, -7.193899

Archaeological excavation was undertaken at Killadroy A, Co. Tyrone, on behalf of The Department for Regional Development, Roads Service. The works were undertaken as part of Phase 2 of the Archaeological Services Contract prior to the commencement of construction of the proposed A5 road. The site is located along Section 3 of the proposed road route. Section 3 extends from Seskinore Road in the north to Ballygawley in the south. Section 3 was the southernmost segment of the proposed development site which consists of 37km in total of new road.

Killadroy A was a previously unknown archaeological site which was identified during Phase 1 archaeological work on the scheme. Phase 1 was carried out following an environmental impact statement and geophysical survey of the route (Durham 2012). In total 11,180.5m of trial trench was excavated and 29,682.5m² of strip-and-map was carried out on Section 3. Further works are proposed but could not be carried out before work on the scheme was suspended in June 2013.

Full excavation was undertaken at Killadroy A on 10 and 11 June 2013. The preliminary evaluation of the findings suggests that only a single phase of activity was identified represented by a possible kiln of uncertain date.

A possible kiln was identified towards the centre of the excavation area. This feature was keyhole-shaped in plan with gradual breaks of slope at the top and base. The kiln bowl had steep to gently sloping sides and a rounded base. There is evidence of oxidisation at the base of the bowl. The flue was linear in plan with gently sloping sides and a nearly flat base. The kiln measured 3.9m in length (north-west/south-east, between 1m and 1.85m in width and had an average depth of 0.22m. There were five deposits present within the cut. The basal fill, located in the bowl of the kiln only, consisted of moderately compacted greyish black charcoal-rich silt clay. It measured 0.03m in depth. A deposit of moderately compacted silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks was found at the junction of the bowl and the flue of the kiln. Above both of these lay moderately compact pinkish grey silty clay which had a depth of 0.13m. The uppermost fill located in the bowl of the kiln was moderate to firmly compacted orangey grey clay. It had a depth of 0.1m. A single deposit of moderately compacted greyish brown sandy clay was located in the flue of the kiln. It measured 1.84m in length, 1m in width and had a depth of 0.12m.

The shape of the feature is consistent with a corn-drying kiln however the absence of grain from the environmental samples casts doubts on this interpretation.

Reference

Durham 2012, Section 3 A5 Western Transport Corridor Northern Ireland geophysical survey.

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