York Historic Environment Record

An excavation was carried out by On Site Archaeology prior to construction of a conference centre at the Royal York Hotel between June and September 1999. This comprised the excavation of an area approximately 40m x 10m. The natural was recorded throughout the excavated area, at around 12.60m AOD at the southwest end and gently sloping down to around 11.80m AOD at the northeast end. Several Roman period inhumation burials and occasional cremations were recorded in the earliest phase of activity. A number of the burials were accompanied with objects, in particular pottery vessels, hobnails (representing shoes or sandals), coins and personal jewellery, such as rings. Evidence for coffins, in the form of iron coffin nails was also found. This was followed by a phase of wall foundations, and a later phase of ditches and pits. Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies inc. consolidated index for volumes 1-25 (1970-1994) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 396-7 31/2000 Yorkshire Archaeological Society : Roman Antiquities Section bulletin 3-4 17/2000