2009:071 - MAGHERY, Armagh

The manual excavation of four test-trenches was undertaken to assess the presence and survival of archaeological strata, in advance of the area being incorporated into the current graveyard. Due to the possibility of human remains being present (on account of the first-edition OS map evidence), it was decided that the trenches would be manually rather than mechanically excavated. The excavations proved that the area had been subject to substantial quarrying in the recent past, and had then been levelled with imported strata. Finds from the excavation included sherds of modern ceramics, glass and corroded iron objects, as well as a single sherd of possible Bronze Age pottery. However, due to sherds of black glazed earthenware being recovered from the same context, the sherd of prehistoric pottery lends little to the interpretation of the site. Nothing of archaeological significance was encountered during the excavation.