Week 3, 21–27 July

Another very busy week on the excavation, with a full complement of excavation trainees and another group undertaking the first artefact study course of the year. So far an average of 1,300 people per week have visited the excavation, which is very encouraging.

Visitors examining the finds display.

The artefact course examined the whole range of finds and environmental material from several contexts dating to the early years of the medieval hospital. This showed that a great deal of waste material had been dumped on the site during the construction of the hospital. One layer produced amphibian bones and snail shells from the environmental samples, suggesting it may have been collected from alongside the nearby River Ouse. Although much of the pottery from these contexts was Roman, the small amount of 9th-12th century pottery showed that the Roman pot was residual (that is, it had been around for a long time when it was dumped) and the contexts actually dated to the time of the medieval hospital.

Still excavating medieval dumps in Trench 1!

On the excavation, in Trench 1 further medieval dumps were excavated, but there was still no sign of the south-east wall of the Roman interval tower SW6. Perhaps this part of the tower had been more thoroughly dismantled than the north-west wall observed in 2002.

In Trench 3 the limestone platform supporting the undercroft column was removed, revealing a large cobble and clay-filled pit. This feature is comparable in appearance to that already partly excavated towards the south-west end of the trench, and is likely to be quite deep (so as to minimise settlement of the building). Meanwhile excavation of the levelling deposits at the north-east end of the trench continued, producing a wide range of mainly Roman finds.

Medieval levelling deposits under excavation in Trench 3, with the foundation pit in the background.

A fragment of Roman Samian pottery with the maker's stamp VIDU[CIUS?]. This high-quality red-slip ware was made in Gaul (modern France).	Roman copper alloy finds, a coin and two decorated implements, as found.

In Trench 5 a large rubble-filled cut was found in the south-west part of the trench. This is almost certainly the demolition cut for the World War Two air-raid shelter. An impressive range of finds of Roman to modern date was recovered from the fill.

Trench 5 under excavation, showing the air-raid shelter demolition cut in the background.

A general view of the site looking north-west towards the Multangular Tower, showing Trench 3 in the foreground and Trench 5 to the rear.