Some of the earliest archaeological artefacts ever found in Derry have been uncovered at a city centre excavation. environment minister Mark H Durkan has extended the dig close to the city's St Augustine's church until october 11 after early Bronze-age artefacts were found.
Archaeologists from Queen's University Belfast digging on the site of a former graveyard initially found 13 bodies dating back to the time of the 1689 Siege of Derry.
As the excavation deepened, they discovered some of the earliest artefacts ever found within the old city. mr Durkan said the archaeologists had found evidence of the settlement created by Sir Henry Docwra in 1600 which predated the building of the city's walls.
"Two very exciting discoveries have been made which can now date the first evidence of human occupation within the walled city area to even earlier," he said.
"The first find is of a flint tool known as a scraper which would have been used to clean and prepare animal hides in the production of clothes or other goods.
"A piece of decorated pottery has also been recovered by the archaeologists and it would have been part of a large urn, possibly
from a burial." mr Durkan said the artefacts could be up to 4,000 years old. As a result he has decided to extend the excavation. He also announced an open day at the dig from 10am to 3pm this Saturday.
n MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT: Environment minister Mark H Durkan at the archaeological dig at Bishop Street car park in Derry with, left, Roisin Doherty of museum services, and excavation director Dr Emily Murray from Queen's University Belfast
PICTURE: Tom Heaney