York Historic Environment Record

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by On-Site Archaeology Ltd on a parcel of land at Heslington East, York, between December 2013 and February 2014 in advance of the construction of a Velodrome. The evaluation consisted of four trenches covering a sample of the proposed development area in order to assess the potential and significance of the archaeology and the impact a development would have upon it. Previous investigations in this area have revealed the presence of a sealed prehistoric wetland, beneath a thick layer of colluvium. C14 dating of root matter collected during an earlier phase of investigation suggests that the colluvium formed some time after the Neolithic period. Limited later archaeological cut features have been recorded cutting into the surface of the colluvium. The current programme of investigation confirmed the limited nature of the later archaeology, which was restricted to medieval ridge and furrow and a single small, undated ditch. Excavation through the colluvium in a number of locations allowed the wetland deposits to be recorded and samples to be collected. No anthropogenic artefacts or features were revealed within the sequence of wetland deposits. Assessment of the samples recorded the presence of pollen grains. However, these were not generally well preserved and further analysis is not recommended. Organic material recovered from the wetland deposits was submitted for Radiocarbon dating. Rather than confirming the Neolithic date suggested by the previously obtained samples this material has been dated to the Iron Age, between 385 and 200 BC. The significance of this is that it confirms that the wetland area was still open well into the Iron Age, rather than having been sealed by the colluvial deposits. The evaluation has provided the opportunity to obtain samples from the previously suggested wetland deposits. No evidence for human activity was found within these deposits, although it is likely that the wetland was exploited during the period that it was open. Although the proposed development may have some impact upon these apparently natural wetland deposits large areas will remain in-situ.