2020:572 - A6D2D ENABLING WORKS—Owenbeg Borrow Area, Derry
County: Derry
Site name: A6D2D ENABLING WORKS—Owenbeg Borrow Area
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: AE/20/092
Author: Gavin Donaghy, NAC Ltd.
Author/Organisation Address: 638 Springfield Road, Belfast, BT12 7DY
Site type: Cremation pit
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 666841m, N 908731m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.921825, -6.957332
This work was undertaken as part of the enabling works for the A6 Drumahoe to Dungiven road scheme; an archaeological watching brief took place over September and October 2020 during which numerous archaeological features were uncovered. An archaeological excavation then took place between 19 October and 24 November 2020.
The excavation uncovered a large ring barrow with no central cremation or burial. Radiocarbon dating has placed this ring barrow in the Middle Bronze Age (1441–1291 BC).
A Bronze Age funerary monument, similar to one excavated at Derrychrier 1, comprised a circular structure with a central cremation burial and surrounded by a ring of 21 post-holes. the cremation was dated to 1403–1227 BC.
A further 13 early medieval charcoal-production pits were also excavated within the area.
