Ballygalley Neolithic site
The Ballygalley Neolithic site is an archaeological site found within the village of Ballygalley on the east coast of County Antrim, in the plain between the Antrim Hills and the North Channel. The site is of great importance to the understanding of the Neolithic period.
The site was discovered during fieldwalking in August 1989 in advance of a housing development: the first find was a surface scatter of Neolithic pottery and flint artefacts spread over several acres. A small-scale excavation in the area of greatest concentration was undertaken in August and September 1989 on behalf of the Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch of the Department of the Environment.[1] Excavations were carried out which revealed the remains of a number of Neolithic houses on low ground about 500 yards from the shore of Ballygally Bay.
The site produced a large number of tools and fragments within and around the houses: finds, including pottery, worked flints and stone axes.[2]
Most of the tool fragments found at the site were flint, presumed to have been quarried locally. Some eighteen flakes of porcellanite were found too, a stone particular to the Antrim Hills. Also recovered from the site though were twenty pieces of pitchstone, a black, glassy volcanic rock similar to obsidian, which is not found locally and may have been imported from the Isle of Arran to the north.[1]
Few studies have been published concerning Neolithic houses of Ireland, which adds to the importance of the work done at Ballygalley and the resultant published studies.
Outside links
- Location map: 54°53’47"N, 5°51’33"W
- OS map: D37380748
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Simpson, D.D.A.: 'The Neolithic settlement site at Ballygalley, Co. Antrim' (1995)
- ↑ O'Sullivan, Aidan and Breen, Colin: 'Maritime Ireland. An Archaeology of Coastal Communities' (Tempus 2007) page 65 ISBN 978-0-7524-2509-2
- Grogan, E., Mount, C. (Eds.): 'Annus Archaeologiae: archaeological research' (1992); Organisation of Irish Archaeologists, Dublin pp 37-44
- Excavation Report – Excavations.ie
County: Antrim Site name: Ballygailey
