publications

York Archaeological Trust Annual Report 2005–6
Publications
The Publications Department continues to produce a small but steady stream of publications in various forms, fulfilling the Trust’s mission to disseminate information on the archaeology of York to the general public and the academic community. Two major print publications came out in 2005: Probate Inventories of the York Diocese 1350–1500, The Archaeology of York 2/3, translated by the late Philip Stell These inventories, of which about one hundred survive, are a remarkable source of contemporary information about medieval life in York and Yorkshire. They provide information of great value to those investigating a wide range of topics in social and economic history; providing room by room details of the houses occupied by the intestate subjects of the inventories, and listing the deceased’s possessions on an item by item basis, thereby giving a highly detailed and intimate view of medieval living conditions.
The City Walls and Castles of York: The Pictorial Evidence This is a fine addition to the Supplementary Series on the historical background of York by Barbara Wilson and Frances Mee, this time looking at the defensive structures so characteristic of the City. The defences are the most complete in England and, together with the Minster, the walls and bars make York one of the most instantly recognisable cities in the kingdom.The book outlines the historical background to the development of the city's defences and presents the pictorial evidence for their evolution.
Other publication projects coming to completion in 2005-6 included the production of a full-colour booklet intended for distribution to schools, Archaeology and Landscape in the Vale of York by Mark Whyman and Andy J Howard, a summary of the development of landscape and the effects of human activity in the area from the Ice Age to the present day. In 2005 the Trust’s magazine, Yorkshire Archaeology Today, went over to full-colour production and expanded in size. The two issues produced this year, numbers 8 and 9, included articles on the mysterious ‘headless Romans’ excavated at Driffield Terrace, excavations of a 19th century iron foundry at Dixon’s Yard, the possible Viking burials at Riccall and the cleaning and investigation of Ripon’s Charter Horn.
Three further sites were published on the internet in YAT’s unique Web Publication Series: The Archaeology of York Web Series No. 5: Hungate: Evidence from an Excavation at the former Henly’s Garage, Stonebow by Rhona Finlayson et al; The Archaeology of York Web Series No. 6: Romans Lose Their Heads: An Unusual Cemetery at The Mount, York by Kurt Hunter-Mann et al and The Archaeology of York Web Series No. 7: Excavations at 62–68 Low Petergate, York by Ben Reeves.
During 2005-6 a large number of figures were drawn for the forthcoming fascicule on the Roman Extra-Mural Settlement of York (AY6/2). In addition to producing illustrations for the Trust’s own projects, artefact illustration work has also been undertaken on behalf of external clients. Further work was done on the Mesolithic and Bronze Age wooden artifacts from Goldcliff and Redwick in the Severn Estuary for Professor Martin Bell of Reading University, and the illustration of a large assemblage of unusual Bronze Age and post-Roman timbers from Burlescombe Quarry, Devon was undertaken for Exeter Archaeology. Also while the Ripon Charter Horn was undergoing cleaning and investigation at YAT’s Conservation laboratory in April 2005, the graphics office produced scale drawings of the horn and its silver mounts. For the Home Front Recall project, websites aimed at Key Stage 2 and 3 schoolchildren were designed and constructed by the Graphics office, which featured recordings of York peoples' recollections of the Second World War.
Copyright © 2003–2006 York Archaeological Trust
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