Jones, E. (2011). Through the Cowgate. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017938.

Excavations in the grounds of St Patrick's Church, Edinburgh were undertaken by Headland Archaeology from November 2006 to February 2007 on behalf of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh in advance of the construction of a hotel on the site. Soil analyses suggested that flash floods had swept through this part of Cowgate up until the early development of the medieval town upslope in the 11th-12th centuries. This early pattern was followed by the gradual build-up of material washed downslope from the High Street; this contained midden material and dung beetles, illustrating the nearby presence of the town. The site lay outwith the bounds of the burgh until the 14th century, when a substantial ditch was cut across the site, believed to be the medieval town boundary. The ditch was backfilled in the 15th century and finds and samples have revealed a vivid picture of life in the medieval town. The ditch was a stinking rubbish dump for many kinds of human and animal detritus, which illustrates that the Cowgate was a busy thoroughfare to the town's markets and contained a variety of industries, including horn working. After the ditch was filled in deep midden deposits, characteristic of this area of Edinburgh, built up on the site.

The evidence is considered in three sections: medieval development, the town boundary, previous investigations in the area, properties and owners. The site lay within the core of medieval Edinburgh from the 14th century onwards and would appear to form part of the rear backlands of a High Street plot or plots. The development of High Street is poorly understood.

The discussion covers the development and expansion of the medieval burgh in the 11th-14 centuries, the town ditch in the mid 14th century, life in the Cowgate in the early 15th century, 15th-century midden dumps, the recut of the town ditch in the late 15th century and developments during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The main focus of the investigation was the primary occupation layer dating to AD 1020-1210 and the basal layers of the medieval ditch. These deposits were found to contain well preserved organic material and thus a multi-disciplinary study including pollen, beetles and plant macrofossils was undertaken.

Excavations in the grounds of St Patrick's Church, Edinburgh were undertaken in advance of construction on the site. Soil analyses suggested that flash floods had swept through this part of Cowgate up until the early development of the medieval town upslope in the eleventh'“twelfth centuries. This early pattern was followed by the gradual build-up of material washed downslope from the High Street; this contained midden material and dung beetles, illustrating the nearby presence of the town. The site lay outwith the bounds of the burgh until the fourteenth century, when a substantial ditch was cut across the site, believed to be the medieval town boundary. The ditch was backfilled in the fifteenth century. After the ditch was filled in deep midden deposits, characteristic of this area of Edinburgh, built up on the site.