County: Down Site name: Old Belfast Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/14/219
Author: Christina O'Regan
Site type: Bronze Age habitation
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 747647m, N 880440m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.650500, -5.712031
Test trenching was carried out at a proposed residential development site between February and March 2015. A total of 26 trenches were excavated across the development site, of which, six contained archaeological deposits. The subsequent excavation of seven additional trenches and establishment of buffer zones determined the full extent of the archaeological features.
Excavation of the identified archaeological features indicated small-scale prehistoric settlement activity, concentrated in two areas to the northwest of the development area. Radiocarbon dates of 2195–1979 BC (2σ, UBA 30448) and 1195–934 BC (2σ, UBA 30449) were established for two pits using secure charcoal (Corylus) samples. The artefact assemblage consisted of 39 fragments of largely undiagnostic flint. A single modified tool was identified as possibly being a damaged hollow scraper of mid-Neolithic date. Four small sherds of undecorated, coarsely tempered pottery were also recovered. Based on the radiocarbon dates, it is the author’s opinion that the excavation revealed evidence for a mid-late Bronze Age site.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy, 23-31 Waring St, Belfast, BT1 2DX
