| Abstract: |
Excavations undertaken at 114-119 St Aldates and 4-5 Queen Street, Oxford,
shed light on some of the oldest and grandest parts of the medieval city. The
earliest archaeology identified appeared to be a backyard surface through
which a series of later rubbish pits, dating to the late Saxon and early Norman
period, had been cut. The pits contained pottery and bone fragments, denoting
general rubbish, as well as the raked-out fuel waste from ovens, fires and
hearths. There were also frequent sediments which had the distinctive green
colour typical of faecal material, either from humans or animals.
A square stone-lined cess pit cut through the rubbish pits. The pit contained a
rich assemblage of 12th-13thͲcentury pottery, animal bone and other domestic
material. The well-constructed nature of the pit suggests that it was associated
with a house of a wealthy individual. It is known that, during this period, the
site was occupied by four properties. Two of the more substantial land holdings
were in Jewish ownership and approximately correspond to the modern 114 to
119 St Aldates. Two much smaller properties, held by the Bishop of Lichfield,
fronted on to Queen Street.
A stone-built structure, part of a below-ground cellar, lay to the east of the cess
pit. The later fills of the cellar contained a small assemblage of late 15th-16th
century pottery, which included stoneware jugs and an intact small drinking
vessel. It is possible that the cellar belonged to one of the number of taverns
that fronted St Aldates and Queen Street.
The type of deposits and features found during the excavation are consistent
with backyards in which rubbish from a succession of properties – grand
buildings, commercial properties, smaller dwellings and workshops – was
dumped.
This assessment presents the preliminary findings of the fieldwork, specifies
what further post-excavation recording and analysis are required, and assesses
the potential of the results to address research questions and contribute to a
better understanding particularly of Oxford’s Saxon origins, its Jewish Quarter
and historic inns and taverns. |
