Environment Minister Mark H Durkan today announced an extension to L'Derry's archaeological dig which is uncovering artefacts some 4,000 years old.

The dig will now continue until Friday 11th October 2013.

The Minister also announced that the dig will be open to the public on Saturday 28th September.

Minister Durkan said: "The archaeologists are this week now discovering evidence of the settlement created by Sir Henry Docwra in 1600, which predates the Walled City of 1613 onwards. Two very exciting discoveries have been made which can now date the first evidence of human occupation within the Walled City area to even earlier.

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"The first find is of a flint tool known as a scraper, which would have been used to clean and prepare animal hides in the production of clothes or other goods. A piece of decorated pottery has also been recovered by the archaeologists and it would have been part of a large urn, possibly from a burial. Both the finds date to the Early Bronze Age some 4,000 years ago and are the earliest evidence so far uncovered on the Island of Derry.

"These Early Bronze Age finds are fantastic. This dig has moved the date of the earliest occupation within the area of the Walled City back thousands of years. I have asked the team to stay on for another two weeks and I would like to take this opportunity to thank DRD Minister, Danny Kennedy for granting the extension to this dig and his department’s Roads Service for their kind cooperation in allowing us access to the dig site."

The work is being undertaken at a car park adjacent to the City Walls and St Augustine's Church.

(CD/MH)