York Historic Environment Record

NGR clarified through YAJ article. See YAJ article available freely online for detailed excavation details and comparisons to other excavations on the Roman defences. Single trench excavated in 1957 ahead of proposed development to investigate Roman wall and rampart. Trench was waterlogged. Roman stone wall revealed as well as early clay rampart with evidence of timber strapping. Medieval wattle lined pits also located here. In 1963 the development took place. Soil was removed to a depth of 12 ft. below the modern surface to construct a basement. In the course of this clearance important discoveries were made relating to both the Roman and the Viking periods of York. As these supplement Dr. Stead’s 1957 discoveries they are also recorded in the same Yorkshire Archaeological Journal volume. Two Roman sections of the fortress wall were uncovered. Both had been robbed. Fortunately, in the second sector, part of the wall was still standing sufficiently high to include all, or most, of the red tile band which is associated with the Phase V rebuild of the fortress defences. Four tiles remained in King’s Square; elsewhere the tile band consists of five2 so that one layer had probably been removed here. This was an important discovery as it is the first time that the tile band has been found anywhere in the sector of wall between the porta principalis sinistra and the south corner tower. This discovery lends support to the view that the entire wall surrounding the praetentura of the fortress was rebuilt in Phase V The modern clearance for the basement only extended about 3ft. below the bottom of the tile band. Normally this band is about 8 ft. above the foundations of the fortress wall. It seems, therefore, that this sector of the wall in King’s Square, in its highest surviving portion, is still standing some 9 ft. high above its foundations: a few yards away Dr. Stead found it standing 8 ft. high Numerous early medieval finds including combs, pottery, wooden bowls and a spindle whorl. NMR: Supplementary information from Dr I M Stead. (E-mail 20. 9. 04.). NMR sources: The journal of Roman studies York Office has vols. 58-60 (1969-1970) Society for Promotion of Roman Studies 48/1958/135-6 The Yorkshire archaeological journal Continuation of: Yorkshire archaeological and topographical journal 42/1968/166:151-164