County: Derry Site name: Brackagh Quarry
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/19/146
Author: Christina O'Regan
Site type: Prehistoric
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 674774m, N 889692m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.749676, -6.838532
Archaeological monitoring of blanket bog removal as part of the western extension at Brackagh Quarry, Draperstown, Co. Derry revealed a number of features spread across a 20msq area. The features were subject to full excavation and were resolved as pits of various sizes, a hearth, a low, flat cairn and a possible prehistoric ground surface which contained over 100 sherds of pottery.
A total of 232 artefacts were recovered during the excavation comprising 124 lithics, 107 pot sherds and one stone object. A single piece of burnt bone was hand-retrieved during the excavation.
In addition to the main excavation, a series of hand-dug test trenches were excavated across an area of stones and boulders to the north-west, identified during a previous walkover survey for an EIA chapter; this area of stones was of particular interest due to its close proximity to wedge tomb LDY040:009. The results of the test trenches indicated that this cluster likely represents a former cairn.
Post-excavation works are on-going but the site likely represents a continuity of the late Neolithic/Bronze Age activity which has been so heavily attested within this landscape.
IAC Archaeology, 9 Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5AF
