2013:363 - Freeduff Presbyterian Church, 3 Oldtown Road, Freeduff, Armagh

In July-August 2013, investigations were undertaken at Freeduff Presbyterian Church in Freeduff townland, Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh, over the footprint of a proposed new extension within a grassed area of the graveyard. Freeduff church is an 18^th-century rebuild of an earlier 18^th-century meeting house and is not known to be of any archaeological significance itself but lies within a 2km radius of a number of known archaeological sites: an Early Bronze Age settlement site (ARM027-009), a megalithic tomb (ARM028-026), a platform rath (ARM027-005), and the Iron Age enclosure known as the Dorsey (ARM028-008).

Due to the high probability of uncovering human remains, trenches were excavated by hand, followed by some minor work by mechanical excavator. An undated, late 20^th-century plan of the church and surrounding grave plots was used to assess the possible location of unmarked burials and trenches were placed accordingly.

Excavation of seven small evaluative trenches (total area 0.0008ha) confirmed the presence of several intact burials (0.35-0.5m depth) corresponding to grave locations marked on the plan, and also several at unmarked locations. Articulated remains were exposed, recorded, left in situ and covered with tarpaulin before the trenches were backfilled. It is estimated that these burials range in date from the late 18^th-mid 19^th century.

All artefact material comprised of 19^th-20^th-century graveyard furniture, debris and rubble with the exception of a broken end scraper of possible Bronze Age date. This was evidently not in its original context, being retrieved from a layer of 20^th-century rubble and rubbish material. Where graves were not encountered, layers were removed onto subsoil and shattered bedrock which was encountered at varying levels across the site. No further finds or features of archaeological significance were uncovered.

Undoubtedly, sinking the foundations for the extension will disturb further human remains and mitigation needs to be undertaken to either remove and re-bury the remains or make alterations to the architect’s plans. Further works at the site will be decided by the developer in conjunction with the NIEA Inspector for the area and the Planning Service.

Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University Belfast.