2015:496 - Magheralave Road, Lisburn, Antrim

An excavation was carried out on lands to the north-east of Magheralave Road from 22 September to 11 December 2015. This excavation centred on the early medieval enclosure which was recorded on the sites and monuments records as ANT 064:020. It should be noted that further work is to be done to the south and west of the area excavated. In particular a ditch [C51] which runs out of the area investigated to the south of the enclosure is to be further investigated as per the instructions of the Historic Environment Division inspectors (NB. this was undertaken under licence AE/17/05 - see separate excavations.ie entry).

The site consisted of an early medieval enclosure [C3] which enclosed an oval area 47m north to south by 43m with a total interior size of 1587.3m2. The ditch was a total of 148.9m long and ranged in size from 2.2m – 4.2m wide and 0.85m – 1.6m deep with the widest and deepest profiles on the eastern side becoming narrow and shallow to the west. There was an entrance into the enclosure on the south-east side which was trapezoidal in shape measuring 3.6m in the interior and 6m at the exterior. Two of the lower fills within the ditch were dated, a layer of charcoal [F6] along the northern base of the ditch returned a date of 1033 – 1190 cal AD, a layer of occupation debris [F19] on the eastern side close to the base returned a date of 608 – 688 cal AD.

Within the enclosure were two pairs of post-holes [C78/C80 and C67/C197] that have been interpreted as door posts to two turf-built structures. To the south-west of the structures was an area of features identified as a working area (as opposed to a living area), a second working area was also identified to the east of the structures. Just inside the entrance were two large pits [C186, C182] which were cut by two large post-holes [C184, C188], it is possible that these were part of a gate. The eastern post [C184] was radiocarbon dated and returned a date of 948 – 1026 cal AD and 900 – 922 cal AD. On the eastern side of the interior was a thin spread [F129] identified as the remnants of the bank which was visible on the surface until quite recently.

Outside the enclosure on the south-west side was a ditch [C51] which may have been part of a field system but which was also part of the water management within the enclosure ditch. A radiocarbon date from the base of the ditch returned a date of 321 – 428 cal AD and 258 – 284 cal AD. In recent years, it has not been unusual to find Iron Age dates associated with an early medieval enclosure suggesting earlier occupation on the site.

Cutting the top of the eastern side of the enclosure ditch was a modern field boundary ditch [C65] which ended to the south with a concrete fence post. A second ditch [C58] 7.5m to the south-east appears to be associated with this later agricultural landscape.  

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