Dr Emily Murray with two of the skeletal remains found at the Bishop Street “dig.”
The team behind a number of archaeological excavations in Derry last year – which included the discovery of a number of skeletons dating back hundreds of years – will give a talk on their findings in the city tomorrow.
Dr Emily Murray and Dr Cormac McSparron will give the talk at 7.30pm in the Playhouse in Artillery Street about the three excavations that they undertook as part of the City of Culture.
The event will focus on:
• the works to examine the ecclesiastical past of the city beside St Augustine’s Church at Bishop Street car park
• the investigation of the 17th century bawn in the grounds of Prehen House, and
• the dig beside the ruins of Elagh Castle – an O’Doherty stronghold captured by Sir Henry Docra in the early 17th century with links to the Spanish Armada.
Welcoming the talk, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan described it as “a mouth watering event.”
He added: “We all recall the great excitement in the city when the excavation at Bishop Street car park was underway last autumn.
“Because of the interesting artifacts found, I extended the work by a few weeks. This free event in teh Playhouse will be a great opportunity to hear the conclusions of the investigations, and to understand how this knowledge fits into the wider story of the city.”
Mr Durkan concluded: “I am sure many people in Derry and beyond will find it of great interest>”
The event is free but tickets must be obtained from the Playhouse Box Office on 028 7126 8027.
The talk is part of a series of events organised for Archaeology Days across Northern Ireland this month, by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
