2016:666 - 4-6 Cheston Street, Carrickfergus, Antrim

SUMMARY: A series of walls, surfaces and floors were uncovered during site level reduction. While some were at best 19th century in date there was evidence of medieval activity. When the upper, more modern features were recorded and removed, pile caps, tie beams and a lift shaft were hand excavated revealing a large ditch bounding the west and north of the site, a series of rubbish pits cut into a number of surfaces of soil accumulation and into the infilled ditch. Above the infilled medieval ditch, a series of cobbled surfaces and walls were uncovered. All of this and several overlying contexts were dated to the early medieval existence of Carrickfergus using both radiocarbon dates and a large quantity of medieval pottery, both local and imported. As well as the almost exclusively medieval pottery, animal bone, medieval metalwork and upwards of 100 pieces of struck or worked flint were also uncovered.

1: In the main, the initially uncovered upper walls, floors and structures appeared to be modern, probably dating to the 18th century onward.

2: Below the 18th- and 19th-century walls were areas of cobbling which may have been the remains of one or more much larger cobbled yards. They appear to have been the remains of two or possibly three surfaces given that there was a variation in cobble size and bedding material. 16th-18th century in date.

3: Below the cobbles was a layer of soil which contaned medieval and post-medieval pottery, as well as copius amounts of bone. This layer of soil, in places 0.5m deep, appeared to seal the medieval features beneath it and provide a firm base for the post-medieval and modem walls floors and cobbles. The soil was either deliberately deposited after having been imported from elsewhere to level the site or accumulated over the several centuries after the medieval features were abandoned.

4. Below the topsoil were several pits as well as a large ditch which ran parallel to Cheston Street. These features contained medieval pottery and bone. Pit 71 returned a radiocarbon date of 1028-1184 Cal AD, Pit C87 returned a date of 1045-1095 and 1120 -1250 Cal AD, Pit C66 returned a date of 1028-1184 Cal AD and Pit C83 returned a date of 1039-1210 Cal AD. 5. The medieval features were cut into soft sand which was overlain by compact cemented sand. Both these layers were pre-medieval and may been the remains of raised beach material pushing the date of their formation back to the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic. This material and similar which underlay much of this part of Carrickfergus may have been the source for the large quantities of water-rolled flint uncovered during the excavation.

CONCLUSION: The features dated were among the earliest stratigraphically on site and were chosen for that reason. As John De Courcy did not actually invade until 1177 and was removed from power in 1204 by Hugh De Lacy, we can be fairly certain that the earliest activity dated in this development and represented by the above pits points to this period of time. The various types of pottery uncovered take and date the story of Carrickfergus into the 13th and 14th century and beyond but the features examined here identify some of the earliest activity, probably while the castle was being built and the basic settlement plan of the town being laid out.

Northern Archaeological Consultancy, 638 Springfield Road, Belfast