Much has been written about the history of Northern Ireland, but less well-known is its wealth of prehistoric sites, from which most of our knowledge of the early inhabitants of this country has been obtained. Until recently, the greatest sources for this information were prehistoric burial sites, which have been visible in our landscape for thousands of years and have attracted the attention of inquisitive people throughout this time, often removing items, or adding others and in doing so, making it difficult for later generations to sift through the evidence. Fortunately, sketches, notes and artefacts have been gathered by Ordnance Survey surveyors, antiquarians and archaeological and historical societies and these continue to be interrogated by modern archaeologists in their search for understanding. A further problem has been the dependence on information about prehistoric societies from their burial sites. Very few sites where these people lived and worked were visible above ground and as a consequence, little was known about them. However, during the last few decades, large-scale infrastructure projects and associated archaeological investigation has revealed a wealth of information. Much of the detail has still to be published and made available for research, but has already enriched understanding of our prehistoric past. This monograph brings together information on all the currently known sites in Northern Ireland that are in some way associated with prehistoric life. It has been compiled from a number of sources and includes many that have only recently been discovered. A total of 1580 monuments are recorded in the inventory, ranging from burnt mounds to hillforts. In addition to providing an inventory of all known sites, along with a selection of photographs and plans, the work also includes an introduction to the prehistory of Northern Ireland, an explanation of terms and a full bibliography. It should be considered alongside an earlier work by the same authors on prehistoric burial sites in Northern Ireland (The Prehistoric Burial Sites of Northern Ireland, Archaeopress Archaeology 2014). The aim is to provide a foundation for more specific research projects, based on a standardised format for this largely untapped resource and stimulate a renewed interest in the prehistory of Northern Ireland. Hopefully, this can then be considered along with our knowledge of the historical period to provide a more complete overview of the story of human activity in what is now Northern Ireland.
Author(s): Harry Welsh, June Welsh
Publisher: Archaeopress Archaeology
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 241
City: Oxford
Cover
Title Page
Contents
Copyright Information
List of Plates and Figures
Figure 01: The modern counties of Northern Ireland Libby Mulqueeny, QUB
INTRODUCTION
A SHORT HISTORY OF PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY IN NORTHERN IRELAND
BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CLASSIFICATIONS USED IN THE INVENTORY
METHODOLOGY
CLASSIFICATION LIST
FINDSPOTS
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT
INVENTORY
COUNTY ARMAGH
COUNTY FERMANAGH
COUNTY LONDONDERRY
COUNTY TYRONE
(ANT 040:059) (after Graves 1877, 293)
Figure 02: Ballyboley Decorated Stone
Plate 01: Ballyaghagan Inauguration Site (ANT 056:094)
(ANT 001:005)
Figure 03: Flints from Ballygalley Quarry and Promontory Fort (ANT 035:017) (after Collins 1978, 27)
Plate 02: Ballygill Middle Axe Factory
(ANT 001:004)
(ANT 035:005)
Plate 03: Ballygill North Hillfort
Plate 04: Ballyhackett [Knock Dhu] Promontory Fort
Plate 05: Ballymagarry Quarry (ANT 060:037)
Plate 06: Bushfoot or Lisanduff Earthworks (ANT 003:001)
Figure 04: Pottery from Church Quarter Habitation Site (ANT 001:023) (after Gormley et al. 2009, 67)
(ANT 047:049)
Plate 07: Cloghfin Lithic Scatter
Plate 08: Cloghs Axe Factory [Tievebulliagh] (ANT 019:012)
Plate 09: Coshkib Enclosure (ANT 015:003)
Plate 10: Cushendun Habitation Site [Not in SMR] (after Movius et al. 1940-41, 1-84)
(ANT 060:082) (after McAlister 2012, 11)
Figure 05: Plan of Divis Stone Enclosure
Figure 06: Plan of Divis Stone Enclosure
[Not in SMR] Gridpoint Solutions
Figure 07: Lisnalinchy Settlement Cluster ANT [Not in SMR] (after Barkley, 2016, 18)
Plate 11: Lissue or Teraghafeeva Burnt Mounds (ANT 067:013)
Figure 08: Little Ballymena Prehistoric House [Not in SMR] (after Excavations ie, 2016)
(ANT 040:097)
Plate 11: Old Freehold Habitation Site
Figure 09: Scaryhill Lithic Scatter [Not in SMR] (after Woodman et al. 1991-1992, 21
(ANT 057:034)
Plate 13: Whiteabbey Decorated Stone
Plate 14: Ballybrolly [Loughnashade] Votive Site (ARM 012:034)
(ARM 002:002)
Plate 15: Coney Island Habitation Site
(ARM 009:001)
Plate 16: Dressogagh Habitation Site
Plate 17: Navan Enclosure (ARM 012:015)
Plate 18: Tray Hillfort [Haughey’s Fort] (ARM 012:013)
Figure 10: Ardbrin Bronze Trumpet (DOW 034:091) (after Wood-Martin 1886, Pl. xxix)
Plate 19: Audleystown Decorated Stone (DOW 031:070)
Plate 20: Ballyaughian Decorated Stone (DOW 048:018)
Plate 21: Ballycroghan Fulachtaí Fia [Swords from] (DOW 002:018) (after Jope 1953, Pl. 1)
Figure 11: Elongated Pebble Tool from Ballygarvan Habitation Site (DOW 018:038) Libby Mulqueeny, QUB.
(DOW 011:012) Ulster Archaeological Society
Plate 22: Chapel Island Midden
Figure 12: Plan of Dromorebrague Hillfort (DOW 034:032) (After ASNI 1966, 148)
(DOW 029:028) (after ASNI 1966, 146)
Figure 13: Plan of Dunbeg Upper Hillfort
Figure 14: Axe Heads from Scrabo Settlement Cluster (DOW 005:022) (after Griffiths undated, 61)
(FER 212:145)
Plate 23: Carrowmacmea Burnt Mound
Plate 24: Cavans Burnt Mound (FER 213:076)
Plate 25: Cavans Burnt Mound (FER 213:093)
(FER 211:100)
Plate 26: Cloghanagh Burnt Mound
(FER 228:089)
Plate 27: Clyhannagh Decorated Stone
(FER 230:121)
Plate 28: Derrybeg Burnt Mound
(FER 230:111)
Plate 29: Derrybrusk Burnt Mound
(FER 230:096)
Plate 30: Derryharney Fulachtaí Fia
(FER 190:028)
(FER 212:017)
Plate 31: Doagh Glebe Promontory Fort
Plate 32: Doon Decorated Stones
(FER 246:013)
Plate 33: Eshbrally Decorated Stone
(FER 228:041)
Plate 34: Inishee Island Habitation Site
(FER 243:028)
Plate 35: Killykeeghan Decorated Stone
(FER 154:003)
Plate 36: Kilsmullan Furnace (FER 154:079)
Plate 37: Kiltierney Linear Earthwork
(FER 211:097)
Plate 38: Kinarla Burnt Mound
(FER 211:104)
Plate 39: Kinarla Burnt Mound
(FER 262:023)
(FER 262:029)
Plate 40: Lislea Linear Earthwork
Plate 41: Lislea Linear Earthwork
(FER 210:013)
Plate 42: Reyfad Decorated Stones
Plate 43: Ring Burnt Mounds (FER 230:090)
(FER 208:004)
Plate 44: Slattinagh Burnt Mound
(LDY 023:041)
Plate 45: Ballygroll Field System
(LDY 14A:004)
Plate 46: Ballynagard Enclosure
(LDY 14A:028)
Figure 15: Ballynease-Macpeake lithic scatter [Not in SMR] (after McAllister 2008, 4)
Plate 47: Ballynagard Burnt Mound
Plate 48: Ballynashallog Settlement Cluster (LDY 14A:023)
(LDY 002:007)
Plate 49: Ballywoolen Habitation Site
(LDY 007:023)
Plate 50: Fish Loughan lithic scatter
Figure 16: Glenone lithic scatter [Not in SMR] (after Spaulding et al. 1999, 146)
Plate 51: Killane Habitation Site [Not in SMR] (after McSparron 2002)
(after McSparron 2002)
Plate 53: Lisnakilly Pit [Not in SMR]
(LDY 023:052)
(LDY 023:054)
Plate 54: Loughermore Decorated Stone
Plate 55: Loughermore Decorated Stone
(LDY 007:037)
(MRL 021:003)
Plate 56: Mount Sandel Settlement Cluster
Plate 57: Mount Sandel Lithic Scatter
(LDY 014:011)
Plate 58: Stradreagh Beg Habitation Site
(LDY 045:018)
(LDY 046:028)
Plate 59: Tintagh Promontory Fort
Plate 60: Tullybrick Field System
(TYR 017:059)
Plate 61: Carnaveagh Decorated Stone
(TYR 058:033)
Figure 17: Plan of Clogher Hillfort
Plate 62: Clogher Hillfort (TYR 058:033)
Plate 63: Derryloughan Road (Unclassified Togher) (TYR 055:011)
(TYR 011:042)
Figure 18: Plan of Glenga Hut Site
Plate 64: Glenga Hut Site (TYR 011:042)
DISCUSSION
THE PHYSICAL REMAINS
Statistical summary
Artefacts
CONCLUSION
Figure 19: Table of excavations at sites of prehistoric life, by date and percentage
Figure 20: Table giving the breakdown of numbers of different types of monuments relating to prehistoric life in Northern Ireland, by County and in total
Table 21: Numbers of prehistoric monuments in Northern Ireland that could be categorised into time periods
Table 22: Prehistoric monuments in Northern Ireland that could be categorised into time periods, by percentage
GLOSSARY
Figure 23: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Antrim
RADIOCARBON DATES
COUNTY ANTRIM
COUNTY ARMAGH
COUNTY DOWN
COUNTY FERMANAGH
COUNTY LONDONDERRY
COUNTY TYRONE
Figure 24: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Armagh
Figure 25: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Down
Figure 26: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Fermanagh
Figure 27: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Londonderry
Figure 28: Table of radiocarbon dates for County Tyrone
BIBLIOGRAPHY
NIEA (DOENI) Documents
Newspapers and Periodicals
Ordnance Survey of Ireland
Public Record Office for Northern Ireland (PRONI) Documents
Photographic collections
Websites
