麻豆社

During archaeological investigations at Cloughmills, a number of archaeological sites were discovered; including a Mesolithic house (6000BC) Bronze Age cooking areas (1500BC) and a 19th century Flax dam. However, the largest site found was an unenclosed rectangular house and souterrain (an artificial tunnel) dating to the Early Medieval period (AD 400 – 1100). These features were on a hilltop which had open views for miles around.

The souterrain was an artificial tunnel dug out of the subsoil and would have been covered in wooden beams and soil to hide it once it was completed. It was first identified on site by the presence of an obvious much darker curve of material running across the orange clay of the subsoil on the hilltop. The archaeologists excavated out the collapsed roof material and found 2 arms to the souterrrain, both 20m long.

The first arm was entered from the back of the house, presumably through a trapdoor. This arm began with a large chamber which was almost tall enough to stand and must have been used for storage. Interestingly it also had a row of stones along its base which may have been seats. The tunnel narrowed and became more shallow up the slope before turning into another slightly smaller chamber at its far end. Half way along this arm was a side passage which led into a much smaller tunnel. It was so shallow it could only have been entered by crawling and was likely to have been an escape tunnel if the people living on the hill were attacked. It eventually came out on top of the hill and provided quick access to the nearby bog where the residents of this hill could have hidden.

Souterrains are relatively common in Northern Ireland and may have been used as additional rooms for the house, and in absence of fridges they would have been used for food storage as they remain cool throughout the year. Their primary function was however in times of danger when they would have been used to hide from your enemies while waiting for your friends to rescue you.