County: Antrim Site name: A26 Borrow Pit 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/15/103
Author: Gavin Donaghy
Site type: Multi-period settlement
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 705588m, N 916643m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.986195, -6.350228
Extensive archaeological remains were uncovered during topsoil stripping of a Borrow Pit along the A26 Frosses Road Dualling Scheme. This area was not within the Scheme footprint and as such was not subject to advanced testing. The archaeology was contained within two fields which were located along one of the highest points in the immediate landscape.
The identified archaeology was divided into five distinct areas.
Area 1 contained a circular structure, 10m in diameter, with a possible entrance to the west. The interior contained several shallow pits and stake-holes.
Area 2 consisted of a single charcoal-rich pit with some small flecks of burnt bone on the surface.
Area 3 contained another circular structure, 10.5m in diameter, with a possible entrance to the north. Narrow linear features extended from the possible entrance in a northerly direction. An 18m linear feature, orientated north-west/south-east, was truncated by the structure. The interior of the circular structure contained several pits and stake-holes.
Area 4 contained the southern half of a ringfort that measured approx. 45m in diameter. No definitive structural remains were found internally. The ditch measured on average 3m x 1.6m. Very few artefacts were recovered during the excavation and just a few sherds of coarse earthenware were recovered form the upper ditch fills.
At the time of writing post-excavation works had yet to begin.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 23-31 Waring St, Belfast
