MAJOR roadworks on one of Ulster's main thoroughfares have uncovered items of archaeological significance.
Excavation as part of the upgrade of the A1 Belfast to Dublin road between Loughbrickland and Beech Hill has uncovered a Bronze Age burial ground and a Neolithic settlement site dating back 6,500 years.
The find has been described as "rare and ext
remely significant".
Information about the archaeological discovery was unveiled on Thursday and has been put on display on information boards at Loughbrickland lakeside, near to the site of the roads scheme.
The Department of Regional Development (DRD) intends the display to offer a medium for members of the public and interested parties to discover more about the area's unique history.
As part of its Strategic Road Improvement Programme, Roads Service is obliged to be sensitive to the environmental impact of its activities and carries out an environmental impact assessment ahead of any road construction.
Minister Caitriona Ruane, standing in for the absent DRD Minister Conor Murphy at the event, said: "The display of these information boards marks the completion of the archaeological works associated with the A1 Loughbrickland to Beech Hill dual carriageway scheme.
"Such works are an important aspect of the environmental work which Roads Service undertakes as part of its programme of road improvements."
The carriageway upgrade is part of an ongoing multi-million pound project to improve the main arterial route between Belfast and Dublin.
