EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Antrim
Killealy, Co. Antrim
Early Medieval Raised Enclosure
Grid Ref: J16338065 (31633/38065)
SMR No. ANT 055:074
Excavation Licence: N/A
Excavation Duration/Year: 1970.
Site Director: A.E.T. Harper (Historic Monuments Branch, Department of
Environment).
This site was an enclosure with a raised interior, surrounded by two ditches and two banks. It
was subsequently destroyed by work at Aldergrove airport. A number of occupation phases
were identified on the site.
Phase 1: Occupation was first established on a raised peat platform - whether or not this peat
was natural, or deliberately placed in position is not yet clear: there is no peat on the
immediately surrounding land and none was located either under the banks or in the bottoms
of the ditches. The remains of wooden houses, and hearths were found. This occupation
layer yielded no pottery but produced a single-sided bone comb, and a dumb-bell bead. [UB-
536; UB-537; UB-538; UB-539; UB-541; UB-545]
Phase 2: A layer of peat 0.10m thick separated this phase from the earliest one. From this
later occupation which was marked by at least four hearths, and a possible house site, sherds
of souterrain ware were recovered, as well as two bronze pins, a loom weight and several
bones. [UB-540; UB-542]
Phase 3: The final occupation layer. A third bronze pin was the major find in this phase. [UB-
544].
(No plans were available for this site)
Radiocarbon Dates
(PJ Reimer, MGL Baillie, E Bard, A Bayliss, JW Beck, C Bertrand, PG Blackwell, CE Buck, G Burr, KB Cutler, PE Damon,
RL Edwards, RG Fairbanks, M Friedrich, TP Guilderson, KA Hughen, B Kromer, FG McCormac, S Manning, C Bronk
Ramsey, RW Reimer, S Remmele, JR Southon, M Stuiver, S Talamo, FW Taylor, J van der Plicht, and CE
Weyhenmeyer (2004), Radiocarbon 46:1029-1058).
Sample No. Context
14 C Date Cal. 2 Σ
UB-536 SE corner of trench 1635±65 A.D. 255-559
UB-537
Phase 1 occupation
surface
1470±45 A.D. 441-455;
A.D. 460-484;
A.D. 533-656
UB-538 Wood- Phase 1 1600±65 A.D. 261-280;
A.D. 325-601
UB-539 Charcoal- base of 1540±65 A.D. 401-643
hearth
UB-540 Phase 2 hearth 1385±65 A.D. 544-774
UB-541
Hearth & Surround- 1560±35 A.D. 419-574
Phase 1
UB-542 Hearth A 1345±65 A.D. 617-772
UB-544 P4 Layer 3- Hearth 1230±50 A.D. 669-894;
A.D. 928-933
UB-545 Oak Doorpost 1395±40 A.D. 574-683
45