A6 Toome Bypass - Archaeology
Background
The village of Toome occupies a low ridge of ground slightly higher than the surrounding countryside, which historically formed the only practicable bridging point of the Lower River Bann between Lough Neagh and Lough Beg. There is a distinct difference in topography between the land on the east bank and that on the west bank of the Bann. About half a mile to the east of Toome, the land is undulating, with low rounded hills, whilst to the west, in the Lower River Bann floodplain, the ground is flat and marshy.
Lough Neagh covered a much larger area in the past, well beyond its present extent, and in post Glacial times stood at about 2.5 metres above its present level. The small drumlin hills that are now close to the Lough and the Bann valley would then have been islands on the edges of the larger Lough. To the north along the riverbanks, diatomite deposits lie beneath the alluvial clay and loose sand. Diatomite was formed in fresh water, and its presence indicates the former extent of the Lough.
Archaeological excavation
Mesolithic finds are common in the area, as noted by early twentieth century investigators of the banks of the Bann. The edges of the Lough would have provided a number of habitats and environmental resources, such as high ground, peat, sandy soils and water, for exploitation during the Mesolithic period.
Archaeological timeline
- Mesolithic Period: The Middle Stone Age, between the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, when the retreat of the ice-sheets northwards enabled people to move northwards and colonise for the first time. It is generally agreed to have come to an end around 4000BC with the arrival of Neolithic techniques and settlers.
- Neolithic period: The New Stone Age, which lasted from around 4000BC to 2000BC. Its beginning was marked by the introduction of agriculture with waves of settlers from Britain and Europe. Pottery appears for the first time along with new types of specialised tools.
- Bronze Age: Marked at about 2000BC by the appearance of a new type of pottery - the beaker - and smaller copper objects in graves. Single graves begin to replace collective burial.
- Iron Age: Largely obscure in Irish prehistory, although it is possible horse riding, wheeled transport and the Celtic language was introduced. Lasted until the fifth century AD and the Early Christian Period.
Potential for archaeological finds
The River Bann as a main route northwards, as well as Toome, a main fording point joining the east and west sides of the province made it likely that further archaeology would be uncovered during construction of the bypass. The archaeological potential of the area east of Roguery Road was also considered high, mainly due to the lack of agricultural improvements. The low-lying nature of the ground and the ready availability of running water marked this as a likely location for fulachta fiadha (cooking pits). The presence of a drumlin (a hill formed by glacial activity), with its higher, drier ground also increased the potential for finds.
Actual archaeological finds
The drumlin area west of Roguery Road yielded more than 10,000 artefacts from the last 9000 years, taking in the Mesolithic, Neolithic and bronze Ages right up to the nineteenth century. The area was considered particularly significant because it was a rare transitional site, charting the change from hunter-gatherer to farming, providing a fascinating insight into how our ancestors lived. Some of the find are shown below.
Samples of archaeological finds
