Cormac McSparron‌

Excavation Director

Telephone: 028 90 973819

Email: c.mcsparron@qub.ac.uk

Dr Cormac McSparron graduated with a BA in Archaeology and Modern History from QUB, an Mphil degree from QUB entitled "The Medieval Coarse Pottery of Ulster" and a PhD from QUB, ““Statistical analysis of the single burial tradition in Early Bronze Age Ireland and some implications for social structure”.

He worked for the Environment and Heritage Service on excavation and post-excavation projects from 1991 to 1995 and was active in private sector rescue archaeology from 1997 to 2001 before joining the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork as a Fieldwork Director in 2002. He has directed and published a number of important excavations of varying types and periods. Cormac has a wide range of research interests, including the early Irish Neolithic period, early and later Medieval Coarse potting traditions, the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Ages, funerary archaeology, the emergence of complex societies, archaeological theory, the archaeology of migration and the application of radiocarbon dating to archaeological problems.

PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS

The “H –Index” of my publications from Google scholar is 6

Papers in peer reviewed journals and book chapters

McSparron, C., Donnelly, C., Murphy, E. and Geber, J., forthcoming, “Special Section: Migration Theory, Group Agency, and Archaeology”, International Journal of Historical Archaeology.

McSparron, C., 2019 “An Overview of the prehistoric and early historic archaeology of the north of Ireland”,in N. J. Whitehouse, H.M. Roe (eds) North of Ireland: Field Guide, Quaternary Research Association and Irish Quaternary Association. This is a significantly extended and updated version of the piece in the 2008 field guide.

McSparron, C., 2017-18 “Dating the Emergence of Souterrain Ware”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 74, 68-73.

McSparron, C., 2017 “Antrim and Argyll in the Prehistoric Era”, in W. Roulston (ed) Antrim and Argyll: Some Aspects of the Connections, Ulster Historical Foundation, Belfast, 21-57.

McSparron, C., 2017 “Antrim and Argyll in the Early Medieval Period”, in W. Roulston (ed) Antrim and Argyll: Some Aspects of the Connections, Ulster Historical Foundation, Belfast, 57-97.

Nelis, E., McSparron, C. and Gormley, S., 2014: "Excavations at St Patrick's Church, Armoy, Co. Antrim", in Corlett, C. and Potterton, M. (eds) The Church in Early Medieval Ireland in the light of recent excavations, Wordwell, 143-158.

McSparron, C. and Williams, B. 2011: (published 2013) Early Medieval Settlement in north County Antrim: the significance of Doonmore and Drumadoon, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 70, 35-44. Cited twice Google Scholar

McSparron, C. and Williams, B., 2012: "...and they won land among the Picts by friendly treaty or the sword": how a re-examination of early historical sources and an analysis of early Medieval settlement in north Co. Antrim confirms the validity of traditional accounts of Dál Riatic migration to Scotland from Ulster", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 122, 145-158.Cited 3 times-Google Scholar

McSparron, C., 2012: "The medieval coarse pottery of Ulster", Journal of Irish Archaeology, 20., 99-119 Cited 8 times-Google Scholar

McSparron, C., 2011: "Appendix 1: An analysis of the Radiocarbon Dates from Corrstown, Co. Londonderry", in Ginn, V. and Rathbone, S. (eds.), Corrstown: a Coastal Community: Excavations of a Bronze Age Village in Northern Ireland, Oxbow Books, Oxford, 274-287.

McSparron, C. and Patterson, R., 2009 (published 2011): “Excavations near the site of the Medieval Cistercian abbey of Clarus Fons, Macosquin Co. Derry / Londonderry”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 68, 110-123.

McSparron, C., 2008(Published 2010): “An excavation at Castle Curlews, Kirlish, Co. Tyrone”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 67, 136-141.

McSparron, C., 2009: “Excavation of Medieval structures at Duleek Co. Meath” in M. Potterton and C. Corlett, Medieval Rural settlement in Ireland in light of recent excavations: Research papers in Irish Archaeology No. 1, Wordwell, 139-148.

McSparron, C. and Williams, B., 2009: “The excavation of an Early Christian rath with later Medieval occupation at Drumadoon, Co. Antrim”, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Section C, 105-164. Cited 16 times- Google Scholar

McSparron, C., 2007(published 2009): “Excavations at Terryhoogan, Co. Armagh”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 66, 120-131. Cited 5 times-Google Scholar

McSparron, C., 2008: “An Overview of the prehistoric and early historic archaeology of the north of Ireland “in N. J. Whitehouse, H.M. Roe, S. McCarron and J. McKnight (eds) North of Ireland: Field Guide, Quaternary Research Association and Irish Quaternary Association.

Hurl D., and McSparron, C., 2004(Published 2006): “Excavations at the Dorsey, Co. Armagh”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol. 63, 41-51.

McSparron, C., 2004 (Published 2006): “Excavations at Church Street, Belfast”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol. 63, 114- 123.

McSparron, C., 2003 (Published 2005): “The excavation of a Neolithic house and other structures at Enagh, Co. Derry”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol. 62, 1-16. Cited 20 times-Google Scholar

McSparron C., 2002(published 2004): "A note on the discovery of two probable booley houses at Ballyutoag, County Antrim", Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol. 61, 154-6. Cited  5 times -Google Scholar

McSparron C., 2003: "Excavation of a Neolithic house at Enagh, Co. Derry”, in I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis & D. Simpson (eds) Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain, Oxbow Books, Oxford. Cited 10 times –Google Scholar

McSparron C., 2001 (published 2003): "The excavation of an unenclosed house of the Early Christian period at Drumadonnell, Co. Down”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol 60, 47-57. Cited 4 times-Google Scholar

Articles in General Reader Publications

McSparron, C. 2015: “50 years of archaeology in the Glens of Antrim”, The Glynns: Journal of the Glens of Antrim Historical Society, 44.

McSparron, C., 2011: "As Above So Below", Archaeology Ireland, Summer 2011, Vol. 25, No. 2. 

McSparron, C., 2009: “A potted history: Medieval Ulster coarse pottery”, Archaeology Ireland, Spring 2009, Vol. 23, No1. Cited 7 times-Google Scholar

McSparron, C., 2009: "Gulliver's Earthworks: how aerial photography has unveiled new sites on Cavehill, near Belfast", Archaeology Ireland Winter 2009, Vol. 23, No. 4.

McSparron, C., 2008: “Have you no homes to go to: calling time on the early Irish Neolithic”, Archaeology Ireland, Autumn 2008, Volume 22 No. 3. Cited 39 times- Google Scholar

Williams, B. and McSparron, C., 2004: “A brief, interim, account of excavations at Drumadoon, Co. Antrim, 2003”, The Glynns: Journal of the Glens of Antrim Historical Society,32.

Recent Published Specialist Reports

McSparron, C., 2014 (published 2016), “Appendix 1, the pottery assemblage” in Sloan, B. “The excavation of two early Medieval ditches at Tullykevin, Co. Down”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 72.

McSparron, C., 2014 (published 2016), “Appendix 2, the ceramic assemblage” in O’Baoill, R., “The excavation of a multi-period ecclesiastical site at Aghavea, Co. Fermanagh”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 72.

McSparron, C., 2014 (published 2016),“Appendix, two Radiocarbon dates from Carrickfergus Keep” in Welsh, H. “The excavation of the battlements of the Great Tower, Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 72.

McSparron, C., 2014 (published 2016), “The Glass” in Carver, N. and Bowen, P., “Excavations at Tully Castle Co. Fermanagh”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 72.

McSparron, C., 2012 (published 2014), “The Pottery” in Murray, E., “Excavations within the scheduled enclosure at South West Ballycarry, Co. Antrim and the discovery of the post-medieval fort or fortified bawn”, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 71.

Recent Unpublished Specialist reports

I have a written a large number of  specialist reports on a very wide variety of artefact types. These have not just been on pottery and ceramics but include reports on glass and metalwork and the XRF scanning of slag. Recent examples include:

McSparron, C., 2019, A report on the Glass from Elagh Castle, Co. Derry / Londonderry, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, Mound of Down Glass Report,  unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, A report on the Pottery from Ballylesson, Co. Antrim, unpublished CAF report   for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, A report on the Pottery from Bendooragh, Drumreagh, Co. Antrim,  unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, A report of the tiles from the excavations at Dunluce Castle 2014, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, Beads from the Dunluce Excavations, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, The Lead Shot from Dunluce, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, A report on the Glass from Elagh Castle, Co. Derry / Londonderry, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2019, Mound of Down Glass Report, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2018, The Pottery from Drumclay, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2018, The Pottery from the excavations at Dunseveeick Cave, Co. Antrim, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2018, A report on the Pottery from Prehen, Co. Derry / Londonderry, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2018, A Report on the Glass from Prehen, Co. Derry / Londonderry, unpublished CAF report  for HED.

McSparron, C., 2018,The Pottery from the excavations at Ballrdullaghan, Co. Derry /Londonderry,  unpublished CAF report  for HED.

Meighan I. and McSparron C., 2018, An XRF examination of potential metalworking slags and residues from Ballydullaghan, Dunseverick and Quoile Castle, unpublished CAF report  for HED.