Antiville, County Antrim facts for kids

Antiville (which means "The House of the Old Tree" in Irish) is a small area of land, like a neighborhood, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It covers about 165 acres. Antiville is part of the civil parish of Larne. It also belongs to the historic area known as the barony of Glenarm Upper.

Exploring Antiville's Ancient Past

Antiville holds secrets from long ago! In a wet, marshy spot near a small river, archaeologists found something exciting. They discovered the remains of an old house and a special underground passage called a souterrain.

What Was Found?

• An old house: This house was rectangular, meaning it had straight sides and right angles.
• A souterrain: This is like a secret underground tunnel or room. People in ancient times used souterrains for storing food, keeping safe, or hiding.
• A ditch and bank: The house and souterrain were surrounded by a shallow ditch. This ditch was cut through the peat, which is a type of soil made from decayed plants. There was also a small bank on the inside.

Understanding the Discovery

At first, people thought the ditch and bank might have been part of a ringfort. A ringfort is a circular fort from ancient times, often used for protection. However, experts later realized that the ditch at Antiville had a different purpose. It was actually built to help drain extra water away from the site. This kept the area around the house drier.

Dating the Finds

Scientists used a method called radiocarbon dating to figure out how old these discoveries are. This method measures tiny amounts of carbon in old materials to tell us their age. The tests showed that the site at Antiville was used during two main periods:

• Between 544 AD and 644 AD
• Between 695 AD and 936 AD

These dates tell us that people lived and used this spot in Antiville over a very long time, many centuries ago!