Week4 4-8 July 2001
STOP PRESS!...STOP PRESS!...
Photographs taken through hole in ground reveal spectacular stone drainage channel!
Great progress was made this week in all the trenches. Twelve new trainee diggers enjoyed a productive week, in glorious sunshine. Public interest has been fantastic: over 3,000 people have visited the excavation so far! Societies have arranged outings to the dig, and there have been many visits from schools. In fact, interest from young people has been so great that we are considering running a series of one-day courses in August for unaccompanied under-12s. Watch this space…
Trench 1
Trench 1 section, showing remnants of the dismantled wall.
 Medieval levels have been reached and the remains of a massive stone wall within the hospital infirmary block have been found. Although the wall had been dismantled in the post-medieval period, the clay and cobble foundation survives.
 
Trench 2

The major discovery of the week was in Trench 2. A void (top picture) appeared beneath the robbed north-east wall of the medieval infirmary block, and one of this week's trainees, Simon Parrett, managed to take photographs through this hole with a digital camera. Imagine our surprise when a large, well-constructed stone drainage channel appeared in the shots, beneath our very feet! The drain is vaulted where it supported the wall of the infirmary block (midddle picture), but the rest has a flat capstone roof (bottom picture). It is about 1m wide and just over 1m deep.


We hope to investigate this drain over the next few weeks.

The void lies to the right of the line
The vaulted roof of the drain
The flat capstone roof
Trench 3
The air raid shelter

Here the floor of the World War Two air raid shelter has been exposed. This structure will be prepared for viewing in time for National Archaeology Day on 21-22 July. Curiously, a column base from the medieval hospital was found within the remains of the shelter, having been knocked in during demolition.More of the Victorian garden has been revealed. The main feature is a strange collection of architectural stonework from the hospital, surrounded by a dry stone wall revetment.

 
Cleaning the Victorian garden A war-time milk bottle found close to the air raid shelter
 
Finds
A collection of finds from the first few weeks on site
These 20th century pins, thimble, and garment hook may have been left behind in the air raid shelter. The penny (1867), the marbles, the lead pencil and possibly the beads are Victorian. The small coin is Roman and is being identified by an expert at the Yorkshire Museum.
Pottery
Pot washing In the first few weeks of the excavation we have already uncovered pottery from many different periods.
 
Modern pottery A collection of modern and 19th century pottery from upper deposits
Medieval pottery The four sherds on the right are typical of this time, the main period of St Leonard's Hospital, mixed with much more recent pottery. The medieval sherds are from decorated jugs.
Norman pottery The two sherds on the right are from typical Norman cooking vessels, mixed with much more recent pottery. The dark stain on the larger piece is soot from the hearth.

Viking pottery The two sherds separated from the others are 10th century, evidence of Viking activity on the site, although these are again mixed with more recent material.
Roman pottery The three separated sherds are Roman although they were found mixed with later material. The shiny red samian piece is from a factory in Gaul (France), while the larger piece is part of an amphora, a vessel used to transport oil or fish sauce.