ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed eight neolithic sites in Derry, some more than 5,000 years old, during work on a new dual carriageway.
The discoveries include a pair of well-preserved 5,000-year-old neolithic houses and 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial places known as “ring ditches”.
Bronze Age pottery, flint tools and human bone were among the items recovered from the sites.
Archaeology firm John Cronin and Associates found the ancient remains in recent weeks. They are working on behalf of Lagan Group and Roads Service during work on the A2 Maydown to City of Derry Airport road-widening scheme.
The company has confirmed that six of the sites have already been “fully excavated and recorded”.
The firm’s archaeological site director, Martin McGonigle, described the finds as “exciting”.
“Two neolithic houses have been excavated near Cloghole Road and were found to be rectangular structures, probably built of very large upright timber posts and planks, with substantial heavy roofs. The discovery of neolithic houses of this scale is unusual; not many examples have been excavated to date and it is therefore an exciting discovery for this area of Northern Ireland.”
A large quantity of finds have been retrieved including pottery, flint tools and a porcelainite handaxe, all indicating the likely domestic use of the site.
The other key find, an extensive ring-ditch measuring about 30 metres in diameter, has been excavated at Longfield.
Project manager Kate Robb said: “Ring ditches are a Bronze Age burial site where people dug a circular ditch and the cremated remains of humans were buried in pits inside the enclosed circular area and in the ditch.” She said the site could cover several generations. Pottery, burnt bone and flint implements had been recovered. “Through full excavation we can not only understand better these site types but we also now have a detailed archaeological record of the area for future generations.”
Detailed illustration, environmental analyses, scientific dating and interpretation is now to be undertaken.
A Department for Regional Development spokesperson said the ongoing digs “are not expected to affect the road scheme programme”.