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P5112 University of York, Heslington, York
Main excavation : From November 2007 to October 2008 York Archaeological Trust conducted a geophysical survey and an archaeological excavation at Heslington East, Heslington, York. The site lies some 3km to the south-east of York City centre, c. 700m to the east of Heslington village, and incorporates areas of glacial moraine and parts of the low lying Vale of York basin. The works involved the excavation two large areas, A1 and A2, seven smaller trenches, Trenches L1-L7 and 17 Evaluation Trenches. Further works: Additional evaluation trenches were excavated across the site in advance of clay extraction. All works were carried out on behalf of the University of York.
P0698 4-7 Parliament Street
A lift shaft had been excavated without any archaeological monitoring. Three sections of the shaft were recorded. This archaeological salvage work recorded a considerable build up of deposits dating to the Anglo-Scandinavian period on a site which is located mid way between the Viking Age streets Ousegate and Jubbergate. Remnants of six wattle fences or walls were revealed in section and at least one of them was likely to represent part of a building. The remaining deposits, all of which were waterlogged and largely organic, were likely to have been dumped material in and around buildings located in what was likely to have been a back yard area of a property.
P0651 2 Clifford Street
Excavation during the lowering of the basement floor revealed deposits which may represent dumping or collapse/accumulation in the late or immediate post-Roman period. They lay below a metalled surface also assumed to be of late or post-Roman date, as its alignment was contrary to the medieval (and assumed Anglo-Scandinavian) street pattern. Partially preserved Anglo-Scandinvian wattle fences aligned parallel and at 90 degrees to King Street (medieval Cargate) were sealed by a series of dumped slightly organic deposits. Further fence -lines were sealed by dumped domestic refuse of Anglo-Scandinavian date.
P0607 Primitive Methodist Chapel, rear of 3 Little Stonegate
The excavations show that beneath the ‘Primitive Methodist Chapel Cottage’ cellar, deep well stratified archaeological deposits survived. The earliest evidence for settlement included a linear ditch or gully aligned north-east to south-west, and a stake-hole alignment or fence line. These may all be of late Iron Age date and would therefore form the first evidence for prehistoric occupation within the area enclosed by the Roman Legionary Fortress. These were sealed by a thick layer of turf which was not distrubed until the construction of Roman timber barracks on the site. This building was demolished and the area levelled. This may have created a large open area within the fortress, such as a parade ground, compound or yard. The surface of this was patched over the area of the subsiding Iron Age ditch or gully and a shallow scoop or pit was excavated, perhaps for the disposal of rubbish or cess. Subsequently a road was constructed along with a second timber barracks which was thought to have been dismantled at the beginning of the 2nd century. It was superseded by a stone barracks. Several phases of modification to this building were recorded and a long series of successive exterior surfaces was found between the barrack blocks. These were interleaved with several accumulation, trampling and occupation deposits, the latter showing signs of scorching. The internal area appears to have been kept scrupulously clean and level throughout the time period in which the external surfaces built-up. The internal arrangement of the buildings was modified over time and metalled paths were laid out. A small area of metalling internal to a barracks may indicate it was used for stabling. In the first half of the 3rd century the barrack block apppears to have been partially burnt down. Various modifications were carried out to the building and a large latrine pit was found to belong to this period. In the 2nd half of the 3rd century a major rebuilding of structures took place on site along with new paths. Occupation of the buildings, which underwent further alterations, continued until the beginning of the 5th century. A series of mixed demolition and manure deposits then built up over the whole area. A thick homogenous deposit was either dumped or accumulated over the whole trench area. This was interpreted as an accumulation of manure, mixed with a small amount of earlier demolition material, cess and domestic rubbish. The area was interpreted as having been part of a farmyard at this point, perhaps including livestock pens. The earliest Anglo-Scandinavian feature was a pit or rubbish pit dated to the 9th or early 10th century Its backfill was later truncated by a second pit which contained demolition or clearance material. A garderobe was found to be backfilled with a number of deposits, clearly of manure, or foul waste origin, some of which contained pottery dateable to the 10th or 11th century. The area appreared to be in the back yard of a property during this period and this function continued through the medieval period. A number of pits and dumps were dated to this period. In the post medieval period the area was crossed by two fence lines perhaps erected to divide up the area into properties. This boundary fence appears to have been replaced by a brick built boundary wall or wall to a property behind Little Stonegate. A number of deep 18th century walls, the construction cut for a late 18th or early 19th century cellar for the “Methodist Chapel Cottage”, as well as the 19th century construction cut for the Primitive Methodist Chapel then, disturbed the area. A number of 20th century service trenches were also encountered.
P0532/P0574 BHS Store, 44 Coney Street
Archaeological work carried out in advance of the construction of escalator pits revealed extremely well preserved remains of the Roman legionary fortress wall standing to a height just below the modern floor surface. The fortress wall appeared to be retained as a landscape feature well into the 13th century, and although the wall was robbed and material built up against its sides during the medieval period, it continued to be used as a property boundary in to the 20th century. Occupation of the Feasgate frontage was represented by a series of pits which indicated the disposal of butchery and leather working waste which were dated to the early 12th - 13th century. Timber and clay lined pits which had been truncated by later pits may have been associated with tanning or textile dyeing trades. A complex series of beam slots, which was thought to be the remains of a timber framed outbuilding or byre, dated to the 12th century. Medieval deposits had been partly truncated and post medieval deposits completely removed by the construction of the modern shop.
P0283 Land to the rear of St Andrewgate/Spen Lane
Excavations reached a maximum depth of 1.80m below ground surface. The earliest deposits excavated dated to the 12th century. These comprised a surface and build-up above it in the western part of the site, probably representing a period of neglect. The first indications of a building fronting St Andrewgate were the remains of a floor and an internal division. These dated to the 13th century. A timber fence line and dumped material including stable manure also dated to this period. In the later 13th/early 14th century over a widespread area material was allowed to accumulate and dumped prior to the renewal of structural activity. At the western end of the excavation two adjacent buildings fronting St Andrewgate were identified. A deliberate levelling of the whole area occurred in the 14th century. Domestic refuse was dumped and disposed of in pits. Further building, either two adjacent buildings or one divided building, fronting St Andrewgate, was identified, following similar alignments to earlier properties. The occupation of the building(s) continued through the 15th century and was represented by hearths, a series of floors and internal building divisions. Part of the building was used as an industrial workshop. Mould fragments suggested the casting of metal, and hammer scale indicated the use of an anvil. A pit feature may have acted as a quenching pit. Numerous internal alterations were made to the buildings though the medieval period. To the rear of these buildings a ditch was identified dating from the late 15th / early 16th century. It may have acted as a property boundary, or an open sewer, although its fill gives no evidence of this function and it appeared to have been deliberately backfilled in one operation. Pits were found in the area behind the buildings and suggest the relatively intensive use of the "backland" area for the disposal of rubbish, although traces of a structure in the form of beam slots were also identified in this area. In the mid 16th century a mortar and tile floor was introduced in the building fronting St Andrewgate which sealed the possible quenching pit. A cess pit or soak-away also dated to this period. Metal-working waste was found in an area which may have been the backyard of the re-organised building. Further structural alterations were made, including a substantial re-build of the building. Foundations which may have been the base for a sill beam supporting a timber-framed building were revealed. At some point after this alteration metal working was again carried out within the building. Occupation of the building continued through the 16th century and was represented by a series of mortar floors and hearths. In the area behind the property there was a rough uneven yard surface, evidence of pit digging, and a property boundary defined by a series of post-holes, which were replaced by a later series. In the late 17th/early 18th century these were backfilled and a widespread levelling deposit covered the eastern part of the site. Alterations and occupation of the building fronting St Andrewgate continued through the post-medieval period. A stone-lined well was encountered near the St Andrewgate frontage. In the modern period the area was occupied by a chemical factory, a building suppliers and a scrap yard. Watching Briefs : Timber building and road surfaces were observed in contractor's trenches in St Andrewgate, and demonstrated that in the Anglo-Scandinavian or medieval period St Andrewgate was narrower than the modern road. A medieval wattle-lined pit and a cobble surface were observed during a watching brief which confirmed that the area towards Spen Lane was open land to the rear of properties fronting St Andrewgate. A well was found which was similar to the one found within the main excavation. The watching brief carried out while pile holes were excavated collected evidence of mortared limestone structures and cobbles and clay c. 3-4m below the ground surface which were intepereted as likely to have derived from buildings and occupation dating from the Roman period. A horizon of organic deposits across the site probably represented evidence of Anglo-Scandinavian occupation. Deposits from the medieval period encountered during the piling were seen to be similar to those recorded more fully during the excavation and derived from street front occupation of St Andrewgate and Spen Lane together with the development of gardens and yards with associated dumping of domestic and industrial waste behind in both the medieval and post medieval periods.
P0156 Manor Farm, Rawcliffe
Some features were observed which indicated the area was under cultivation in post-medieval times. A field boundary ditch was encountered, and a fence line. These observations did not add substantially to the main excavation in the area.
A0882 Manor Farm, Manor Lane, Rawcliffe
A topographic survey recorded medieval field boundaries and it was demonstrated that structures in this area were post-medieval in date. Excavation showed evidence of a Romano-British field ditch system. A large ditch which is likely to have acted as a parish boundary between Skelton and Rawcliffe was found to date from the Anglian or Anglo-Scandinavian period. A field drain and ridge and furrow provided evidence of medieval agriculture and a ditch may have been a minor boundary ditch. The buildings of Manor Farm are likely to be of post-medieval date.
P1048 28-29 High Ousegate
The site at 28-29 High Ousegate, York, was the subject of an archaeological watching brief and excavation in the summer of 2002. The excavation took place in the site of a new lift shaft in the basement of the building, which is currently Waterstones book store. The excavated area measured just 2.6m by 3m and was investigated to a depth of 1.9m below the existing floor level. The excavation uncovered evidence of deposits of Roman to Anglo-Scandinavian date; all later deposits had been removed by the insertion of the present cellar. The Anglo-Scandinavian deposits were of particular interest and included a number of pits, dumped deposits, wattle fences and a stake- and post-built structure, in addition to an exceptional collection of artefacts, well preserved in the highly organic deposits. These artefacts provide evidence for craft industries on the site including leather working, textile production, antler working and horn working
A0686 41-49 Walmgate & George Street
Different degrees of preservation of archaeological levels were found in a series of five trenches. Remains of medieval structures on the Walmgate street frontage were found to survive close to the modern surface. On the car park at the junction of George Street and Dixon's Lane all archaeological deposits had been removed by the basement of 19th century brewery stores and the natural clay was at an unexpectedly high level. Between the two occurred a significant change in the local topography which was not explicable in the small trenches available.
A0730 Carmelite Street
Three trenches and a series of boreholes demonstrated that well-preserved dumped material of the late medieval and early post-medieval period sealed a medieval timber revetment presumably at the edge of the King's Fishpool. The undulating surface of natural deposits suggests a complex course for the early River Foss.
A0047 5-7 Coppergate (Hardings/Habitat)
A post and wattle fence line, horizontal wattle and organic dumped material from the Anglo-Scandinavian period were observed and evidence of leather and bone working was recovered.
A0085 Parliament Street Sewer
It was apparent that repair work on the 19th century sewer had truncated archaeological deposits. However, some observations of previously undisturbed archaeological deposits were possible. Part of the south-east wall of the legionary fortress was seen with chevron tooled plinth stones. An iron ploughshare and coulter were recovered from unstratified levels in the fortress ditch. Part of an upstanding wall of a Roman building was observed. Considerable quantities of demolished material for Roman building were also seen. Two undated ditches were thought to belong to the Roman period. Levels of presumed Anglo-Scandinavian date were observed along the full length of the sewer trench. Their depth increased significantly towards the south-east, the valley of the River Foss. Amorphous peat deposits were seen in quantity. Wicker-lined pits, occasional fence posts, and post and planks from timber buildings were observed. At the south-eastern end of the trench timber sill beams and associated ash floors were observed.
A0106 8 High Ousegate (Peter Lane)
A limestone wall with cobble footings was recorded approximately 5m below ground surface. This may represent part of a Roman building, above which was organic dump deposit indicating Anglo-Scandinavian occupation, interspersed with an organic silt which may represent a flood deposit. Leather-working debris was evident within this material, and a fence line. Two human skulls and possible disintegrated coffins were also recorded.
A0208 Coppergate/Piccadilly/Castlegate, watching brief
The principal Roman features encountered included the fragmentary remains of a largely robbed out stone building. This has tentatively been interpreted as a warehouse, on the basis of its proximity to the River Foss. Four pits and a linear feature were excavated. A red gritstone wall was observed in the Fossbank area. Its north-east/south-west alignment precludes it from being a riverside wall. A pit dated to the Anglian period which contained the Coppergate helmet was the only feature of this period. Buildings dating to the Anglo-Scandinavian period were found, including the western wall of a structure already identified in the main Coppergate excavation. Associated tenement boundaries and pits were recorded. The recorded medieval features included structural remains, fence lines, riverside reclamation, the outer defences of York castle, and parts of the cemetery of All Saints Pavement. From the post-medieval and early modern periods the most significant discoveries were parts of the cemetery of St Mary's Castlegate, traces of canalisation of the River Foss and part of the footings for the Victorian prison in the Castle Yard.
A0509 22 Piccadilly (ABC Cinema)
The excavations through deeply stratified waterlogged deposits provided evidence of the course of the River Foss from Roman to the medieval period. Four trenches were excavated, one of these trenches, trench four, was found to have been located within course of the River Foss prior to its canalisation after 1793. In another, (trench 3), a steeply sloping bank of natural sandy clay, which was likely to have been a part of the riverbank was found. The other two trenches, 1 and 2 were located to the west of this bank and demonstrated intensive occupation of the area from the first century through to the 16th century; later deposits had been truncated by the foundation of the ABC Cinema. The excavation lay to the south-east of the tenements excavated on Copergate, in an area between them and the river Foss. Many of the deposits were dumped and build-up material which contained domestic and industrial waste providing important information about craft activities, the utilisation of resources, diet and living conditions. The Roman deposition comprised a ditch aligned at right angles to the modern day River Foss cutting natural sandy clays. It is likely that it provided a means of drainage into the river. Neglect of the drainage appears to have occurred as the cut became silted up and filled with material similar to the subsequent build-up and dumped material which was likely to have been secondary rubbish dumping dating to c280. The sequence of activity over the period 9th-12th century indicates a series of attempts to make the area close to the Foss usable. The deposition signals periods when the area was usable by man, with evidence of riverside structures and revetments being recovered, interspersed by periods when the area declined in use. The earliest timber fence on the site ran parallel to the River. A dump and build-up of material sealed this structure and pottery recovered from it dated to the Anglian period. Occupation and use of the site became more intensive in the Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval periods. Material built up through river flood deposition, by organic build-up from the decay of vegetation, possibly when the area was very waterlogged, and by the dumping of domestic and industrial waste material. Particular evidence was found of the glass industry, small pelt preparation, horn and antler working, and butchery on a commercial as well as a domestic scale. A wooden knife handle decorated in the Ringerike style were found. Deposits show the area continued as an area of disposal of domestic and industrial waste throughout the medieval period with some evidence of drainage in the form of cuts and a large soakaway. The latest significant feature found on the site was good example of a barrel well dating to the 15th or 16th century. Later deposits had been truncated by the foundations of the ABC Cinema. An extensive programme of sieving produced good recovery of environmental evidence.
A0020 Paragon Street, Barbican Baths (Cattle Market)
The natural soil was exposed over a large part of the site. A ditch was cut into natural and was dated to the Romano-British period. Plough soil and indication of cultivation during this period was identified. A number of features were encountered, including two curved slots and a feature described at time of excavation as a moat, later re-interpreted as a robbed cobble surface. This activity was followed by a deposit of plough soil and the area was again under cultivation. Two large pits or wells were also identified. One of these produced an enamelled cross brooch which dated to the Anglian period. There were two phases of construction which related to the original and the later construction of the cattle market represented by a series of post-holes and large stanchion base pits.