County: Derry Site name: A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe Dualling Section 1 Test Trenching
Sites and Monuments Record No.: IHR 01819:000:00 Licence number: AE/17/150
Author: Colin Dunlop
Site type: Multi-period
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 649509m, N 911526m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.948952, -7.227185
This licence covered monitored mechanical test trenching, on the Drumahoe to Claudy section (Section 1) of the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Road Dualling Scheme. This section of the road scheme is characterised as comprising managed pasture and peat bogs. Archaeological testing in Section 1 comprised 1292 mechanically excavated test trenches (TT1-TT1257, NT1-NT12, NT31-NT49 & CT40-43). TT1-TT1257 were included in the original scope of works set out in the HED approved WSI (AECOM 2017). Subsequently NT1-NT12 and NT31-NT49 were added to the test trenching requirements due to design changes. Later CT40-CT43 were added to fill gaps in the trenching layout at the request of HED.
Potential archaeological remains were identified in 16 test trenches during the Phase 1 investigations. As per the WSI (AECOM 2017) these trenches were extended until a clear 10m exclusion zone free of archaeology, or the limit of the vested line, was reached. A potential archaeological feature initially identified in TT881 proved to be non-archaeological. The areas where remains were confirmed were then separately defined as Sites 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 24. New archaeological licences were obtained for Sites 9, 10, 12 and 14. Sites 11, 13 and 24 were simple sites and did not require separate licences.
The sites and licence numbers are as follows:
• Site 9 (TT1152) – Licence AE/17/195 - Funerary ring ditch overlying large burnt mound (ITM: X 656637 Y 909133, IG: C 56701 09139)
• Site 10 (TT970) – Licence AE/17/196- Ring ditch and associated postholes, possibly a Bronze Age roundhouse (ITM: X 654436 Y 908503, IG: C 54498 08515)
• Site 11 (TT1003) – Licence AE/17/150– Modern pit (ITM: X 654651 Y 908430, IG: C 54710 08438)
• Site 12 (TT664) – Licence AE/17/217 – Broad Shallow burnt mound (ITM: X 663002 Y 906064, IG: C 52857 08851)
• Site 13 (TT391) – Licence AE/17/150 - Isolated charcoal rich pit (ITM: X 649837 Y 911377, IG: C 49891 11369)
• Site 14 (TT368, TT369, TT371, TT376, TT378, TT380, TT381 and TT383) – Licence AE/17/234 - Linear featire and pit-like features, some associated with pits containing Early Medieval pottery (ITM: X 649732 Y 911627, IG: C 49791 11639)
• Site 24 (TT1203 & TT1204) – Licence AE/17/150 – Demolished remains of two walls possibly belonging to the former Foreglen Flax Mill - IHR 01819:000:00 (ITM: X 657401 Y 909212, IG: C 57455 09204)
Northern Archaeological Consultancy, 638 Springfield Road, Belfast
