County: Armagh Site name: ARMAGH: Scotch Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: J. McDowell
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 687733m, N 845103m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.347057, -6.650583
In February-March 1986 a short rescue excavation was carried out at 46-48 Scotch Street, Armagh. The area investigated (8m x 5.5m) was to the south of that examined by Chris Lynn in 1979-80 and to the east of that excavated by the writer in 1984. The excavation, which was carried out in advance of redevelopment, was funded by Historic Monuments and Buildings Branch of DOE(NI).
In the earlier excavations on adjacent sites it was shown that the area had been used as a cemetery early in the Christian period, and there was some evidence of activity. It was hoped that further evidence of this activity would be found and that further samples for C14-dating of the graves would be recovered.
The pre-cemetery activity did not extend into this area, however, and of the nine early graves excavated only one contained identifiable remains of a wooden coffin, regrettably too little to be useful for dating. Human bones were very poorly preserved.
Early Christian pits and gullies post-dated the use of the area as a cemetery. Waste from the manufacture of lignite, amber and glass products was found.
Two large rubbish pits of medieval date were also located. In general the area was extensively disturbed by post-medieval activity.
5 Malone Avenue, Belfast
