Prologue

Welcome to the web diary for the third season of excavations at St Leonard's Hospital, York, run by York Archaeological Trust (the previous two seasons' web diaries are still available if you would like to catch up with the project). As the 'dig' progresses an update on the progress of the excavations and any related events that took place will be posted on a weekly basis. There will be reports both from the excavation and from the site base at Lendal Hill House, where the finds are cleaned and examined. This season is due to end on 28th September.

To summarise the discoveries to date: the investigation of the south-west defences of the Roman legionary fortress has been concentrated on part of the stone inverval tower SW6 in Trench 1, which is thought to have been built about AD200 and was only demolished during redevelopment of the medieval hospital of St Leonard around 1250. A hospital stood on the site by 1100, when a two-storey stone building (almost certainly the infirmary) with a vaulted undercroft was built between the Roman tower SW6 and the west corner tower of the Roman fortress (known as the Multangular Tower). Extensive evidence for occupation within the undercroft, probably including cooking and metal-working, was recovered. The hospital was largely demolished after the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, and the site used for industrial purposes. During the 19th century the site was cleared and landscaped, and it remains a lawn to this day, albeit it briefly augmented by an air-raid shelter during World War 2.

Plan of the current and proposed additional trenches (click image for larger version)

The strategy for 2003 is to complete the excavation of that part of Trench 1 under the standing remains of the medieval hospital undercroft (the part outside the standing building was excavated to the bottom last year), and to continue the excavation of Trench 3. In addition up to three additional trenches may be excavated, in order to answer questions raised by the work carried out to date. For those thinking about taking part in the dig in the future, be warned that 2004 is expected to be the final year, with the completion of the excavation of Trench 3 and any additional trenches that have been opened.

The project team for 2003 is Kurt Hunter-Mann (Project Manager), Neil Macnab (Site Manager), Toby Kendall (Assistant Site Manager), Ben Reeves and Maria Vinnels (Site Supervisors) and Katherine Bearcock (Finds Supervisor). Many other York Archaeological Trust staff will be involved in the training from time to time. A placement from Bradford University, Liz Papworth, is to supervise the environmental sampling.

New for 2003 is the development of an additional staff level, known as Project Placements. The core staff will be assisted by several such placements in the main areas of teaching - excavation, finds and environmental sampling. Further placements will help with ancillary tasks - analysing the excavation data, and guiding visitors around the site. They comprise either archaeology students requiring fieldwork experience, or former St Leonard's trainees seeking to develop their skills.

On with the excavation!