York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P1180 Cable Trench, Mount Terrace
  Natural deposits of firm brown clay were noted in all but Trench 1. Although no finds were recovered from the watching brief, all deposits and features overlying the natural were definitely or very probably modern in origin and associated with the installation of modern services. Nothing of notable archaeological significance was observed in any of the trenches.
• P5479 Utility trench outside 3-4 to 15-16 Clementhorpe, York
  No features or buried structural remains were noted during these works and the only below ground level deposit which was recorded, Context 1000, is likely to be a garden soil of relatively modern origin. It is not believed that any archaeology of significance was disturbed during these works but the clean nature of Context 1000 does suggest that intact archaeology may well survive in this area below modern deposits and services.
• P5478 Utility trench, junction of Winterscale Street and Fishergate, York
  No features or buried structural remains were seen within any of the trenches. The relatively clean dark brown silt, Context 1000, in the recorded section appeared to be undisturbed and may be an agricultural or horticultural soil. Since no finds were recovered from these works the date of this soil remains uncertain but it was probably of post-medieval, or possibly earlier, date. No archaeological remains of any great significance were observed or disturbed during these works.
• P5477 Utiliity trench, outside 103 The Mount, York
  Although no finds were noted from this work all contexts seen within the trench were clearly modern in origin and were levelling or backfill deposits. No archaeology of any significance was disturbed during the works.
• P5472 Jet Garage, 128 Lawrence Street, York
  The sandy gravel seen towards the base of the trench is likely to be natural. No features were seen cut into it but given the very restricted area exposed this is not, perhaps, surprising. The dark silt above this was probably a pre-modern agricultural soil of uncertain date and its thinness may suggest a degree of modern truncation. All other deposits seen were clearly of modern origin. It is believed that no significant archaeology was disturbed during these works but this observation indicated the potential for archaeology to survive in the area only c.0.5m below the existing modern ground level and any future or large scale works in the vicinity would be worthy of monitoring.
• P5470 Utility trench, Highcliffe Court, adj 110 Cllifton, York
  Although relatively close to the modern ground surface the firm, mid brown clay (1000) seen towards the base of the trench was probably natural. No features were seen to be cut through and none of the overying layers were deemed to be of any great age or archaeological significance and were probably or definitely modern.
• P5219 Utility Trench, 10 St. Sampson's Square, York
  During a watching brief monitoring an excavation for the installation of a new water feed to 10 St Sampson\'s Square, York a mortared limestone wall, possibly aligned north-east / south-west, was observed. It had foundations of cobbles set in sandy clay. It appeared to cut a build-up deposit. No dating evidence was recovered but the construction of the wall may indicate a medieval date. It probably belonged to a building demolished or cut back during enlargement of St Sampson's Square, possibly c.1835 when the present Church Street was constructed.
• 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.
• P0385 Bootham School
  A path or lane running north-east from Bootham was found, and a small ditch was encountered which appeared to run along the line of the path. The path was medieval in date, the ditch did not contain any datable material. There was a build-up over the path of late medieval date. A demolished post-medieval brick wall was also found. A follow-up watching brief did not observe any archaeolgical features
• P0241 Lighting Scheme, Museum Gardens
  An extensive watching brief on a series of pits and trenches associated with the installation of a new lighting system was undertaken in the Scheduled Area around the Abbey of St Mary. Disturbance was largely confined to deposits of recent date but a number of archaeological features were also found. In particular the masonry walls of a range of buildings to the south of those previously identified were recorded.
• P0213 Sports Ground, West Bank, Holgate
  Evidence of the former use of the site as a horticultural nursery was observed.
• A0755 69-71 Micklegate
  A 4m length of garden path constructed in brick was observed in a contractor's trench. A line of unmortared limestone blocks was encountered indicating the existence of a previous building on the site.
• A0234 Mount School
  A Victorian garden path was encountered 0.50m below ground surface. Within the make-up deposits below this path a human jaw bone was recovered. This may suggest material from Roman burials was redeposited here, although all material observed appeared to be of modern date.
• A0691 Pavement Sewer Flue Repair 3 [22 Pavement]
  From a section in a contractor's trench it was possible to record, at the base of the observation, 9.8m OD, an organic deposit which contained leather off-cuts. Above this a number of horizontal timbers were observed, sealed by a deposit containing charcoal fragments. A 0.50m deep spread of horizontal wattlework was recorded along with a pit filled with organic matter containing a number of leather off-cuts and wood chippings. Although dating evidence was scant these deposits were interpreted as dating from the Anglo-Scandinavian period. The deposits may represent collapsed wall lines or paths. The observations have further extended the distribution of leather off-cuts in this period.
• A0689 Pavement Sewer Flue Repair 2 [22 Pavement]
  Anglo-Scandinavian deposits of 3m depth were recorded.