York Historic Environment Record

Archaeological monitoring and excavation during emergency repair works on an 80m length of a collapsed Victorian sewer. The works were located along Tanner Row and Toft Green, York. Northern Archaeological Associates Ltd conducted the archaeological investigation between July and September 2012 on behalf of Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. The archaeological investigation revealed significant, deeply stratified layers of Roman date below the modern Tanner Row and Toft Green road surfaces. These were encountered at a depth of approximately 1.2m below ground level (BGL), and extended to approximately 4.1m BGL. Most notably, the remains of a high status building were recorded, with an insitu tessellated pavement in at least one room, and painted plaster walls. Due to its location and decoration of the recovered mosaic fragments, it is thought likely that this forms part of a larger structure, alongside the apsidal building with a boscampus (sea bull) mosaic discovered here in 1840. It is uncertain whether this larger complex was a townhouse, the ‘Temple of Serapis’ or part of the public baths located to the immediate north-west. The building appears to have been constructed in the mid 2nd century and modified over time, containing several phases of floor surface, reapplied wall plaster and a series of walls on differing alignments, although these could represent a series of buildings on the same site. An area consisting of stratified garden-soil layers and metalled surfaces probably represented a garden or yard area to the southwest. Several dumps of material above these structural remains represented the abandonment and collapse of the building, probably in the mid 3rd century. The site of the collapsed building then appears to have been re-used, with a series of floors laid over these rubble deposits, subsequently cut by a pit containing 4th-century material. Other remains included dumps of painted plaster rubble that could relate to the building containing the ‘Four seasons’ mosaic uncovered in 1853. A layer of dumped clay above the natural ground surface was also recorded along the trench, which may represent levelling of the ground prior to construction. The recovered finds included an in-situ, simply decorated mosaic floor, samples of which were lifted and conserved. Also recovered were sherds of Romano-British pottery suggesting high status occupation, with a large proportion of amphorae, fine wares such as samian, and vessels comprising flagons and bowls. A number of types may have been associated with ritual activity, namely a tazze, a candlestick, a headpot and an unguent pot. A large quantity of building rubble was also collected, with roof tile, some brick, and fragmenting painted wall plaster. The rest of the assemblage consisted of animal bone, including two bone pins; oyster and mussel shell; vessel and window glass; metal objects, mostly comprising iron nails, and a small palaeobotanical assemblage.