2016:307 - Moorfield Avenue (Ballyhenry Minor), Comber, Down

Five areas were highlighted for investigation during test trenching – Trenches 2-5, Trench 2B, Trench 7, Trench 16 and Trench 18.

Trenches 2 - 5

This area was located at the top of the hill close to the north-east boundary of the site. The earliest feature in the area was a curving ditch (C25) which was radiocarbon dated to the Early to Middle Bronze Age, 1643 – 1504 cal BC. It is unclear what purpose this ditch had. The next phase of activity was a Middle to late Bronze Age enclosure (C230/C334), radiocarbon dated to 1301 – 1118 cal BC. The enclosure as exposed on the site was 22m in diameter although if the lines of the enclosure were to be projected its size was potentially 27m by 29m orientated east to west. The ditch was ‘V’-shaped around its main length becoming more concave-based as it turned towards the area of the entrance. It measured 0.85m to 1.2m wide by 0.55m to 1.23m deep.

The entrance to the enclosure was destroyed by a later enclosure in the same area. Associated with this enclosure ditch (C230/C334) were two internal ditches (C159 and C203) and some metalling (F197); the ditches divided the internal area into two.

The next phase of activity on the site was a large early medieval enclosure ditch (C113/C114) in which the basal fill from the northern terminus was radiocarbon dated to 1281 – 1076 cal BC and a piece of wood from the base to the south of the southern terminus was radiocarbon dated 645 – 765 cal AD. It is likely that the Bronze Age date in the base of the terminus came from material associated with the earlier Bronze Age enclosure.

The area of the enclosure exposed on the site measured 24m by 36m north to south; if the lines of the ditch were projected it was potentially an enclosure 36m by 28m orientated north to south. The enclosure had a narrow wedge-shaped entrance to the east which measured 2.5m to 4m wide.

Found within the ditch during this phase of activity were layers of organic material and waterlogged wood with very few artefacts.

It was clear from the fills of the ditch that there had been a large inner bank which had eroded into the ditch.

Associated with Phase 1 of the early medieval enclosure ditch was a souterrain (C179) which was a single corridor that measured 10.75m long orientated north-east to south-west. The north-east entrance was next to a large area of metaling and the south-west end exited into the enclosure ditch. Within the base of the souterrain were nine post-holes (C177, C283, C286, C308, C311, C314, C319, C335 and C341) within each of which were either a wooden post or the rotted remains of the post. All of the wood identified was oak.

Also associated with Phase 1 of the main enclosure, on its south-west side, was an enclosed field (C50), presumably the same date as the main enclosure. The field measured 17.3m long by 12m wide oriented north to south with its entrance on the western side. The field possibly had an additional piece of ditch (C220) which ran parallel to the enclosure ditch making a narrow corridor entrance.

The early medieval enclosure ditch was recut (C132/C251) at the end of the early medieval period with a smple from the basal fill giving a radiocarbon date of 887 – 1013 cal AD. This enclosure was the same size as the earlier one, however the ditch was not as wide or as deep, it measured 2.4m to 2.9m wide and 0.6m to 1.4m deep.

The southern terminus was disturbed by post-medieval activity (C227). Th basal fill of the recut opposite the entrance contained a large amount of occupation debris including Souterrain Ware pottery, burnt bone and a large quantity of blackberry seeds indicating that the ditch was left open for some time. At this time the field enclosure ditch was also recut (C59); by the entrance to the field was a large hearth (C273).

Associated with the early medieval enclosure but unclear as to which phase were four post-holes (C240, C261, C264 and C266), a hearth (C237), a small pit (C245), a large pit (C206), a shallow ditch (C280), a large metalled surface (F189 and F190), and just outside the entranceway a small patch of metaling (F152) and a shallow ditch (C155).

Lastly, within the interior of the Bronze Age and early medieval enclosures were a series of features which cannot be associated with one or the other as there are no stratigraphic relationships. There were three shallow pits (C201, C247 and C249), two large pits (C133 and C191) two small pits (C169, C175) and four linear features (C140, C146, C148 and C187).

Trench 2A

This area was located to the west of the early medieval enclosure, There were no finds from any of the features; due to the isolated nature of the features no radiocarbon dates were processed.

Trench 7

The area contained a stone drain (C8), a small pit (C6) and sub-oval hearth (C4) which contained four stake-holes within its base (C9, C11, C13, C15). One of the stake-holes (C9) was radiocarbon dated to 2577 – 2468 cal BC making this the earliest feature on the site.

Trenches16 and 18

These areas contained a ditch (C416) which runs from Trench 16 to Trench 18 (C400/C404). The basal fill of this ditch was radiocarbon dated to the Bronze Age 2146 – 2010 cal BC. This is the second earliest feature on the site, it is unclear what this feature was utilised for as it is too shallow for a boundary ditch but too large for a foundation gully.

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