The Archaeology of York

Finds from the sewer system (which probably served a bath building) included gaming pieces, intaglios, fine gold ornaments, bone pins, fragments of glass unguent bottles and a rare piece of silk woven in the West from Chinese raw silk: Trajanic times to late 4th early 5th centuries. See also 77/4397, 77/4441.

SE 600520. Little stratification survived in Roman levels. The 1st century defences were a ditch and turf-revetted rampart, and ?a six-post interval tower. ?Early 2nd century: replacement ditch and stone-fronting of rampart, followed by large stone building behind the rampart and over the intervallum road. Late 3rd/4th century, external ditch redug, curtain rebuilt, massive polygonal-fronted masonry interval tower (one of six) built. Later features: a pit with grass-tempered pottery and a ?palisade-of Anglo-Scandinavian or Anglo-Norman times. Au(abr)

[SE 602514 etc] The finds from the timber well area and road surfaces in Skeldergate, and from the masonry ranges in Bishophill, include over 300 coins, figurines, metalwork, an important series of shoes, a wooden bucket, and a fragment of a 3rd century glass bowl with engraving and legend. See also 79/5951.

SE 602514, etc. Excavations within the area of the Roman colonia located a sequence of seven Roman roads in Skeldergate, the fourth one being accompanied by a river-retaining wall (early 3rd century). Other features, of 2nd to 4th century in date, included a timber-lined well sealed by deposits associated with the construction of an Anglian timber building. At Bishophill three main Roman phases were identified including massive terracing and the construction of three large masonry buildings, possibly of public scale and probably including a bath building: Severan? Finds included painted wall plaster and a large assemblage of York 'legionary' ware continuing into late 2nd century. See also 79/5944.

Presents biological and pedological evidence from an early/pre-Roman buried soil and the fill of a 2nd century well backfilled in 4th century. The buried soil probably carried rough grazing for stock. The well's rich biota included evidence for spoilt grain, peat blocks (?fuel), and garden refuse. The proximity of the River Ouse is reflected in the aquatic and waterside taxa. Box, hemp, and a black rat (see 80/6794) are among unusual finds. D G

Excavation of a limited area at 6-8 Pavement revealed waterlogged archaeological deposits including eleven successive timber structures and domestic and personal items of metal, stone, bone, leather, cloth, etc. Crafts practised included leather working, textile making, and jet and amber working. Pottery evidence and 14C dates suggest occupation running from before AD 850 into 11th century. Also reported is material from watching briefs at 5 Coppergate and Leadmill Lane.

A late 2nd-mid 3rd century timber-lined well in The Bedern yielded large assemblages of biological remains (dumping of surface deposits?) with insects, spoiled grain, peat, box leaves, a salt-marsh flora, ?faeces all represented. A warmer climate than today is indicated by four species of heteropterous bug well north of their present range. Pit fills, some certainly of Anglian date, in The Bedern had contents suggesting low occupation density, significant so close to York's centre. Au (abr)

Range is from silver sceattas to 20th century; material includes dies and other objects associated with minting, jettons, and tokens. The Coppergate series is of particular interest in content and quality.