2006:416 - Siege Heroes Monument/Apprentice Boys Memorial, St Columb’s Cathedral, Derry, Derry

Monitoring of primary ground-reduction works associated with the refurbishment of the Siege Heroes Monument/Apprentice Boys Memorial at St Columb’s Cathedral, Derry, was undertaken between 16 October and 23 November 2006.
The supporting stone setting of the monument itself, concrete steps leading to the monument and portions of the associated sub-base material were removed under supervision. These deposits varied in depth between 0.05m and 0.5m and their removal revealed underlying sub-base material and a topsoil-like material, which formed the upper layer of the Siege Heroes mound itself. Pieces of disarticulated bone were recovered from within the underlying sub-base material during monitoring within the area of the upper steps leading to the monument. Sherds of post-medieval pottery were also identified within the same deposit. The artefacts were all recovered from within a 1m2 area immediately below the upper steps leading to the monument. As the artefacts were recovered from within the sub-base layer for the concrete steps, it seems reasonable to presume that they were deposited in this location during the construction works associated with the original monument that previously occupied the site. However, the deposit from which they were recovered appears to consist of a mixture of the deposit which seems to form the mound itself and the layer of topsoil-type material which covers it. Therefore, it is possible that the fragments of bone and the sherds of pottery may have been contained either within the deposits associated with the mound itself, which may have been disturbed during the previous works at the site, or within imported material used for the creation of the sub-base.
As the refurbishment works caused minimal invasive disturbance to the mound itself, archaeological works were limited in scope and the nature of the mound itself remains largely unknown.