ULSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Survey Report: No. 43 Survey of Prehistoric Burial Site, White Park Bay, County Antrim UAS/13/04 In association with Harry Welsh 2 © Ulster Archaeological Society First published 2014 Ulster Archaeological Society c/o School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology The Queen’s University of Belfast Belfast BT7 1NN 3 CONTENTS Page List of figures 4 1. Summary 5 2. Introduction 6 3. UAS survey of 1 September 2013 10 4. Discussion 14 5. Conclusions and Recommendations for further work 27 6. Bibliography 28 Appendix - Photographic record form 30 4 LIST OF FIGURES 01: Aerial view of White Park Bay Google Earth 5 02: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, 1st Ed., Ant. Sh. 4 (part of) 1833 7 03: White Park Bay [west]: OS County Series, 2nd Ed., Antrim Sh. 3 (part of) 1859 7 04: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, 2nd Ed., Antrim Sh. 4 (part of) 1859 8 05: White Park Bay [west]: OS County Series, 3rd Ed., Antrim Sh. 3 (part of) 1906 8 06: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, 3rd Ed., Antrim Sh. 4 (part of) 1904 9 07: View of Knocknagalliagh, looking north 10 08: Plan of Knocknagalliagh and stone row 11 09: East/west profile of Knocknagalliagh 11 10: North/south profile of Knocknagalliagh 12 11: Plan of Stone Row to south of Knocknagalliagh 12 12: UAS survey team members at work 13 13: Table of known archaeological sites in White Park townland 14 14: Selection of recorded monuments in adjacent townlands 15 15: Illustration of Knocknagalliagh (after Gray 1879, 137) 17 16: Illustration of megalithic tomb (LDY 003:071) (after Gray 1879, 135) 18 17: View of Knocknagalliagh and probable cairn, looking west 19 18: View of Knocknagalliagh and probable cairn, looking west 21 19: Plan of sites in the central and eastern parts of White Park Bay 21 20: Crouched inhumation burial (after Knowles 1900-1902, Plate XV111) 22 21: Great Auk, extinct in 1844 Natural History Museum 23 22: Flints recovered during 2013 UAS survey 24 23: Sherd of Sixteenth-century pottery recovered during 2013 UAS survey 24 24: Horizontal dark bands above high water mark, north of occupation site ANT 004:009 26 25: Possible remains of White Park House 27 5 1. Summary 1.1 Location A site survey was undertaken at White Bark Bay, County Antrim, on Sunday 1 September 2013 of a prehistoric burial mound, known as the Tumulus, or Knocknagalliagh (Hag’s Hill). This is situated in the Townland of White Park, Parish of Ballintoy and Barony of Cary, Irish Grid Reference D 02265 44035 and at an altitude of 31m+OD. This is an area rich in archaeological monuments from almost every time period of human activity in Ulster, many of which are recorded on the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency: Built Heritage (NIEA). In addition to its archaeological significance, the bay is also part of an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI 107) and part of the Causeway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated in 1989. The survey was the fourth in a series of planned surveys undertaken by members of the Ulster Archaeological Society during 2013. Figure 01: Aerial view of White Park Bay Google Earth 1.2 Aims In order to enhance the archaeological record of this site, the aims of this survey were to produce accurate plan drawings of the monument and carry out a photographic survey. This information was compiled into a report and copies submitted to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, to the National Trust and to the archives of the Ulster Archaeological Society. 6 2. Introduction 2.1 Background A survey of a prehistoric burial site at White Park Bay was undertaken on Sunday 1 September 2013. It was carried out by members of the Ulster Archaeological Society, in response to a decision taken by the committee of the society to extend an opportunity to members to participate in practical surveys of archaeological monuments that had not previously been recorded. During discussions with Malachy Conway, Archaeologist of the National Trust in Northern Ireland, it was noted that many archaeological sites on National Trust property had not been subject to a detailed archaeological survey. It was therefore agreed that members of the society would commence a programme to survey these sites and the prehistoric burial site was subsequently chosen to be the forty-third of these. 2.2 Previous archaeological investigation During the 1830s, archaeological sites in White Park Bay attracted the attention of surveyors from the Ordnance Survey and some details were recorded in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs that followed. During the last few decades of the nineteenth century the bay was the subject of intense investigation by antiquarians, many of whom plundered the area of thousands of archaeological artefacts and caused irreparable damage to many of the monuments that had survived intact for thousands of years. Fortunately, some antiquarians, particularly William Knowles and William Gray, published their findings in journals such as the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy and many of their artefacts now form part of our museum collections. In the absence of recent archaeological investigation at White Park Bay, the antiquarian accounts are essentially our only current source of knowledge for this site. 2.3 Cartographic Evidence White Park Bay is recorded on two sheets of the Ordnance Survey County Series maps, Sheet 3 at the western part and Sheet 4 at the eastern Part. On the First Edition maps of 1833, no archaeological sites are recorded in White Park Bay, but Ballintoy Demesne Passage Tomb (ANT 004:013) is recorded as Druids Stone on Sheet 4 (Figure 02). 7 Figure 02: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, First Edition, Antrim Sheet 4 (part of) 1833 On the Second Edition 1859 maps (Sheets 3 and 4, Figures 03 & 04), the bay is annotated as a Rabbit Warren along its entire length. At the western end of the beach, two buildings and associated enclosures are recorded and are probably the remains of White Park House. Several archaeological sites are also recorded, including Templastragh Church (ANT 003:012), Ballintoy Demesne Passage Tomb (ANT 004:013) (now annotated as Cromlech), Clegnagh Passage Tomb (ANT 004:012) (also annotated as Cromlech) and Lemnagh Beg Passage Tomb (ANT 004:007), annotated as Cloghaboghil. Figure 03: White Park Bay [west]: OS County Series, Second Edition, Antrim Sheet 3 (part of) 1859 8 Figure 04: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, Second Edition, Antrim Sheet 4 (part of) 1859 By the Third Edition of the Sheet 4 map of 1904 (Figure 06), several archaeological sites were recorded in White Park Bay itself. These were cairn ANT 040:010, annotated as Tumulus, occupation site ANT 004:009, annotated as Neolithic Settlement (Site of) and occupation site ANT 004:008, annotated as Neolithic Remains found (A.D. 1897). The sand dunes continued to be annotated as a rabbit warren. Figure 05: White Park Bay [west]: OS County Series, Third Edition, Antrim Sheet 3 (part of) 1906 9 Figure 06: White Park Bay [east]: OS County Series, Third Edition, Antrim Sheet 4 (part of) 1904 2.4 Archiving Copies of this report have been deposited with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the National Trust and the Ulster Archaeological Society. All site records have been archived by the National Trust at Rowallane, Saintfield, County Down. 2.5 Credits and Acknowledgements The survey was led by Harry Welsh and included George Rutherford, Ian Gillespie, Pat O’Neill, Lee Gordon, Ian Forsythe, Duncan Berryman, Grace McAlister, Janna McDonald, Yvonne Griffiths, Liz McShane, Janey Sproule and June Welsh. The Ulster Archaeological Society is particularly grateful to Malachy Conway, Survey Archaeologist of the National Trust, who worked closely with the survey team in choosing the site and facilitating access. The Survey Group is also grateful for the geological information provided during the survey by Dr Ian Meighan. 10 3. UAS Survey of 1 September 2013 Figure 07: View of Knocknagalliagh, looking north 3.1 Methodology It was decided that the survey would take the form of the production of plan drawings and elevations, accompanied by a photographic survey. This report was compiled using the information obtained from these sources, in addition to background documentary material. 1.2 Production of plan drawings Plan drawings and elevations were completed, using data obtained from the field survey. Measurements were obtained by using the society’s Leica Sprinter 100 electronic measuring device. Sketch plans at 1:100 scale were completed on site by recording these measurements on drafting film secured to a plane table and backing up the data on a field notebook for subsequent reference. Field plans were later transferred to a computer-based format for printing. 11 Figure 08: Plan of Knocknagalliagh and stone row Figure 09: East/west profile of Knocknagalliagh 12 Figure 10: North/south profile of Knocknagalliagh Figure 11: Plan of Stone Row to south of Knocknagalliagh 1.3 Site description The primary monument surveyed was the mound known as Knocknagalliagh. This consisted of a roughly circular mound 26m in diameter. Around the base of this mound, fifteen boulders were located in an arc extending from north, through east and south, to west. Boulders were not visible between west and north. A further three boulders (two large and one small) were located around the top of the mound. These boulders were numbered S1 to S18 for the purposes of the survey (Figure 08). These were provisionally identified as dolerite (Ian Meighan pers. comm.). The second monument to be surveyed was a small circular mound 35m to the north-east of Knocknagalliagh.