Week 8, 25 - 31 August

This week was a quieter one for both trainees and visitor numbers perhaps relating to the fact that the schools go back soon. Visitor numbers were good, but considerably down, with 1,359 people viewing the excavations. The total number of visitors so far this season was just short of 14,000 by the end of the week. Even though the workers were few, enthusiasm was alive and kicking, and as a result, much was achieved.

Find processing and environmental sorting underway on site for the public to see.

Trench 1

Excavating rampart deposits in Trench 1.

Excavation focussed, at last, on the rampart deposits at the southern end of the trench. These deposits were the only ones excavated so far this season that could definitely be Roman in date and character. The rampart deposits consisted of a complex sequence of interleaved sandy deposits, heavily disturbed by animal burrowing, which were very difficult to excavate stratigraphically. The deposits were a revelation however, as they revealed that the interval tower SW6, rather than being built into an earlier rampart, was actually constructed first and the rampart piled up against it. This is the first time in the excavations history that we have revealed evidence to suggest this. Only a few artefacts were recovered from the rampart deposits including several sherds of York ware Roman pottery dating from the 1st or 2nd century AD.

Trench 3

Dry sieving of archaeological deposits from Trench 3 to retrieve small artefacts.

Levelling in Trench 3.

This week, a three pronged approach was used to tackle areas of archaeology in this trench. Firstly, at the west end after a thorough clean a large number of post- and stake-holes were revealed. This brought back memories of the 2002 season, when hundreds of these features were exposed and excavated at the eastern end of the trench. Luckily these were easily identified and dealt with rapidly.

Secondly, excavation proceeded again within the central foundation pit associated with a column of the 13th century hospital undercroft (see week 5). Four pieces of medieval glazed roofing tile came from the deposits excavated from within the foundation pit as well as a glass melon bead. The foundation pit is now c. 1.7m deep and still going! Could the pit go all the way down into natural deposits?

The third prong involved the removal of further homogenous dumps at the eastern end of the trench. These again produced a nice array of finds dating mainly to the Roman period including glass, pottery and a coin, although we are fairly confident they are still 11th or 12th century in date.

Checking records as the foundation pit gets ever deeper!	Excavating levelling dumps on the eastern side of Trench 3.

Trench 4

Excavating the backfill of Trench 2.

Within this trench, excavation focussed on excavating a slot through the backfill of trench 2 which we excavated in 2001. The top of the substantial 13th century drain revealed in 2001 was re-exposed at c. 0.40m below the present ground surface. Quantities of brick, tile and pottery were recovered as well as one half of a pigs jaw with an intact set of teeth including the tusk and incisors.

Trench 5

With fewer trainees this week, work focussed on cleaning the last of the landscaping deposits, discussed last week, off the gravel path within the Yorkshire Philosophical Societies garden of antiquities. In the process of doing so the true appearance of the path, during its last phase of use, perhaps in the 1930's, was revealed. A narrow gully was exposed on the western side of the path, cutting through the latest of its surfaces, Could this have been dug to drain rain water off the path and into the deep landscaped area within the multangular tower? A fragment of a double-sided bone or horn comb, perhaps of medieval date was recovered from the landscaping deposits on top of the path.

Excavating deposits within the air-raid shelter demolition cut.	The path looking north-east.	Setting up a planning frame in trench 5