Week 1, 7–13 July

Although the previous season of excavation at St Leonard's Hospital seems like yesterday, it was indeed time for the third summer season of the dig to begin at the start of July. There was a hectic week of site preparation, with the visitor access laid out and the large volume of backfill from Trench 3 removed by machine. On 8th July the site was opened to visitors, following the official opening by the Lord Mayor of York, Chas Hall, and the Lady Mayoress.

The Lord Mayor excavates Trench 3, under the watchful eye of placement Ged Callaghan

On the same day the first group of trainees began their training on the excavation, and after their introduction to the site they were soon getting their hands dirty with digging, site recording and finds work.

The first contingent of trainees!

In Trench 1, the excavation of the dumps underlying the standing remains of the medieval infirmary, which had begun in 2002, continued. These deposits were formed by the large-scale tipping of soil and other waste prior to the construction of the large Anglo-Norman timber buildings found last year, which may have been part of the original medieval hospital. Although the Roman interval tower excavated at the north-west end of Trench 1 has yet to be reached at the southern end, the large quantities of Roman pottery found already suggest the tower is not much lower down.

Trench 1 under excavation

In Trench 3, work concentrated on the investigation of the initial construction of the original infirmary undercroft, which is thought to date to about AD1100 (give or take a few decades). After no little effort the column base that has been for so long a feature in the centre of the trench was removed, and was found to have rested on a platform of mortared limestone fragments.

Trainees recording the column base platform in Trench 3

Two of the more interesting finds made this week were part of a decorated bone object; and an oyster shell that had been perforated, perhaps for use as a pendant.

Decorated bone object

Perforated oyster shell