Our reporter was on the spot to exclusively film the public unveiling of the Neolithic/Bronze Age find at Ballintaggart close to Loughbrickland. Three months dig revealed a Bronze Age cemetery, with barrows containing burial urns (photographed) of cremated ashes and bones. The adjacent three homes are of much greater antiquity and here in the walls' foundations were found the arrowheads etc.
The dualling A1 scheme beyond Loughbrickland to Beech Hill has led to a wealth of important archaeological finds being unearthed.
The archaeological team, led by Simon Large (photographed in our slideshow) and Kevin Beachus discovered on adjacent sites, and at similar depths just beneath topsoil level, a Bronze Age cemetery consisting of a number of ‘barrows’ with the clay burial urns containing the cremated remains of early settlers, many of which were reused, with, just metres away, the excavated foundations of three Neolithic homes of two millennia previous to that. The map photo on the slideshow has other archaeological sites of the vicinity marked in green, indicating that the whole area was of great importance for human habitation over an extended period of time.
‘These three Neolithic homes are of great significance, as only thirty three have been unearthed over all of these islands. The site is a narrow finger, or ‘inch’ of land at an elevation of 292 feet. Ancient water levels are known to have been higher than present day levels and would therefore have surrounded the site with water or waterlogged land on three sides in prehistoric times. Besides the obvious defensive nature, water was a liminal substance signifying the boundaries between worlds. This is likely to have been significant in the choice of cemetery site.
Following three months excavation by a team of twelve archaeologists, evidence emerged of prehistoric settlements from c 4000 BC to 1800 BC. The eight ring-ditch barrow cremation burials date from the early Bronze Age (c 1800 BC) as is evidenced especially from the pottery style.
Our photo shows the reconstruction of one such funerary pot which had only three missing fragments. Bone fragments are currently being examined and carbon-dated. Evidence of precious metal working was found in the form of a small crucible. The existence of large corner stake holes round the Neolithic homes suggest a heavy roof was supported on such timbers with the house walls internal and free-standing from the roof. Pottery and worked flint has been recovered from the houses as well as carbonised timber from foundation trenches, which has been used to carbon-date the houses. Stones packed into the foundation trenches suggest a split-plank construction. The size, shape and construction is similar to the Ballynagilly, Co Tyrone Neolithic house which was radio-carbon dated 4340-3700 BC.
However, added Simon, the extent, variety and artefacts recovered suggest that this may be a unique site, archaeologically speaking.
Other archaeological discoveries included two Burnt Stone Spreads, one of which may have been a Fulacht Fiadh (outdoor cooking place).
A full archaeological report will follow.
This observer feels it necessary to add that all, with the exception of artefacts already recovered, will disappear before the bulldozer within the next few days. That our photo below shows the team frantically scrambling through the third Neolithic home site for any remaining evidence with the huge earth-moving trucks homing in, indicates that some further period of grace might have been granted before ‘progress’ wiped out the traces of our past.
The archaeologists in charge, I must in fairness add, seemed singularly unfazed.
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I couldn’t help but note that one photo shows in the background, a grass-clad drumlin, the relic of the retreat of the last Ice advance some twelve thousand years ago, with the Bronze Age barrow in the foreground and the Neolithic homes to the right near-ground. Wedged in the middle is the great modern earthmover, signifying the present and the future fast-track road. Is it really progress?
History 
The dualling A1 scheme beyond Loughbrickland to Beech Hill has led to a wealth of important archaeological finds being unearthed. 
Following three months excavation by a team of twelve archaeologists, evidence emerged of prehistoric settlements from c 4000 BC to 1800 BC. The eight ring-ditch barrow cremation burials date from the early Bronze Age (c 1800 BC) as is evidenced especially from the pottery style. 
However, added Simon, the extent, variety and artefacts recovered suggest that this may be a unique site, archaeologically speaking.
This observer feels it necessary to add that all, with the exception of artefacts already recovered, will disappear before the bulldozer within the next few days. That our photo below shows the team frantically scrambling through the third Neolithic home site for any remaining evidence with the huge earth-moving trucks homing in, indicates that some further period of grace might have been granted before ‘progress’ wiped out the traces of our past. 
