York Archaeology Online Collections

Items

• P1214 Land Adjacent To St Saviour's Church, Hungate, York
  Between 13th and 22nd September York Archaeological Trust undertook an archaeological evaluation excavation at land adjacent to St Saviour’s Church, Hungate, York in order to assess the date, nature, preservation and quality of any archaeological remains on the site. The evaluation revealed a complex sequence of burials, structures and occupation deposits, and road surfaces dating from the 11th - 12th century to the present day. There was also evidence of possible earlier Roman, Anglian and Anglo Scandinavian activity on the site. Significant archaeology, including the burials, lay relatively close to the modern ground surface but is at present generally well preserved and has great potential as an archaeological resource for revealing and understanding the development of this area of York over the last 2000 years.
• P5508 71-73 Goodramgate
  A two-trench evaluation at 71-73 Goodramgate revealed extensive midden deposits of 13th century date at 2m BGL/14.30m AOD. A 14th century building with evidence for 16th century demolition and alteration was found, along with evidence for the disposal of local metal working waste from the 15th century into the post medieval period. An 18th/19th century clearance truncated these remains, which were sealed beneath extensive 19th century ground make-up deposits. The lowest midden deposits were waterlogged and contained organic remains with an extremely good level of preservation. Subsequent boreholes revealed a further 3.25m of deposits overlying natural at 5m BGL/c.11.10m AOD.
• P0638 14 Skeldergate
  Three boreholes and six test pits demonstrated that archaeological deposits on the site survived to a height of c. 1m - 1.50m below ground surface. Sandy silts deposited in the medieval period were recorded in two of the test pits. Brick walls, probably of 19th century date, were also encountered. A watching brief observed the excavation of thirteen trenches dug to underpin a wall of a property to the southern edge of the site together with a series of pile trenches. In these trenches there was evidence that an undisturbed sequence of deposits dating from the Roman, Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval periods survived on the site. The quality of evidence recoverable from pile trenches was compromised by the method of excavation. Little dating evidence was recoverable and it was difficult to make comparisons between the stratigraphy in each pile trench. Since the quality and archaeological potential of these deposits had already been established by evaluation work carried out in 1991 it is surprising that only a watching brief with limited recording was specified as the requirement for this site. Timbers driven in to the upper surface of natural sands were observed to be sealed by layers of laminated clays and cobbles possibly representing surfaces. These are likely to date from the Roman period. Anglo-Scandinavian pottery was recovered from some of the material interpreted as occupation deposits but it was not possible to determine the scale of activity in this period. Deep deposits of organic build -up were dated to the medieval period. Two massive limestone walls were recorded. The exact relationship between the two walls was not possible to determine due to disturbance from the piling operations, but they were bonded with identical mortar indicating they had formed parts of the same structure which could have been a riverside building or a series of retaining walls. Part of the wall aligned east west had already been excavated in 1991 and was founded on a raft of horizontal timbers and dated to the 12th-early 13th century. Deposits accumulated to the north of the wall indicated intensive occupation, and comprised a culvert and a series of dumps. Those to the south of the wall represented a series of build-up deposits. Further walls were recorded and interpreted as internal walls of a separate structure. A substantial wall was built directly above this second structure and this wall was interpreted as the eastern wall of a riverside building, possibly a warehouse. A series of sand deposits dating to the 13th -14th century sealed all the structural elements. Further dumps were recorded and appeared to derive from demolition sources. A hearth and floors together with a robbed wall indicated continued occupation of the area. In the 14th-15th century there was a change in the type of hearth constructed on the site. Four almost identical circular brick lined ovens or furnaces were constructed and suggest industrial activity. Structural elements and occupation deposits continued to be represented into the 15th-16th century. Relatively little post medieval material was recorded on the site and any found was on the lower terrace of the site. A number of brick cellars or cellar infills were seen across the site and dated to the 19th or 20th century.
• A0786 50 Piccadilly
  "The earliest activity located on the site was two small ditches of late 2nd century date cutting the natural clay at 2.60m OD. Further Roman material was dumped in and around these features in order to raise the ground level. An isolated post was the only evidence of structural activity. It was sealed by burnt residues possibly indicating an industrial process in the vicinity. Subsequently the area was used to tip domestic refuse close to the river, the tip lines running from east to west. A line of stakes and a post followed this alignment, but their structural purpose was not clear. A rough cobbled surface marked a change in use of the area and it was sealed by organic build-up. These deposits all dated to the 3rd century with no later Roman deposits being found. Some 10th/11th century dumping occurred and included a series of large irregular timbers. They were sealed by a series of build-ups and dumps which terminated against a substantial timber revetment presumably on the east bank of the River Foss. This sequence of deposits dated from the 14th century and suggested alternating conditions of waterlogging and dry land in the area, in which domestically derived material accumulated. The timber revetment dated to the 14th century. Horizontal timbers and loosely woven wickerwork were found to the east of the revetment and may have been used to consolidate a ground surface. Deposits above this reflected the continued use of the area for dumping of domestic waste. A considerable depth (3m) of post-medieval material sealed the medieval deposits and included disarticulated human bone which may have derived from the graveyard of St Denys' Church."