County: Down Site name: Cronstown & Ballyalicock, Rivenwood - Phase 2, Newtownards
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/18/188
Author: Ross Bailey
Site type: Multi-period - prehistoric & early medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 351427m, N 375006m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.591000, -5.680000
Features dated from the Early Neolithic to the post-medieval period.
A series of pits that contained sherds of Early Neolithic Carinated bowl were excavated at the north of the site.
A Bronze Age roundhouse, radiocarbon dated to 1616 to 1493 BC and 1058 to 906 BC, was located within the centre of the site.
A burnt spread was also excavated, and was radiocarbon dated to the early medieval period, AD 422 to 574. This spread contained several displaced prehistoric artefacts, most significantly a broken prehistoric Irish pebble macehead.
In addition, a 3m-deep, dry-stone well with steps leading down to the water was found. This was undated, but based on its size and style it is believed that this may be a holy well associated with the nearby Movilla Abbey that was founded in the 6th century AD.
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