Dig Diaries – Lost Castle of Con O'Neill
This summer, members of the YAC have been joining excavations across the UK as part of our annual Dig It! competition. Here we find out all about the dig day at the Lost Castle of Conn O’Neil in Castlereagh, Northern Ireland. A team of archaeologists from Queen’s University Belfast conducted the excavation and they invited the YAC along. Here we find out all about the Dig It! day from some of the winners.Ethan, from Belfast YAC, told us:
On Saturday the 22nd of June, I went to excavate the site of Con O’Neill’s castle, after winning the Dig it competition. Brian, the site director, showed me the site and explained some of the history, and then we started digging. I found a few pieces of glass, some charcoal, and lots of rocks.
However, my most interesting find came later in the day. I was digging with my trowel when I came across a large chunk of dirt. Unlike other clumps of dirt I had found this one didn’t break apart. I decided to show it to Brian. It wasn’t a clump of dirt, but it was the tip of a knife or a broadsword. It was probably from the start of the 17th Century. This was quite an exciting find.