York Historic Environment Record

A series of five evaluation trenches and seventeen boreholes revealed the differing character and depth of archaeological levels across this large site. Close to Blossom Street the islands of archaeology which survived between cellars consisted of complex deposits of Roman date included foundations and floors of a building tentatively dated to the early 2nd century. A complex series of pit were filled with material including industrial derived metal working residues which dated to the 3rd century. A cobble surface was also located and was sealed by a 0.70m thick levelling deposit dating to the mid 3rd century. The Roman deposits were sealed beneath dumped material of the 11th/12th century, above which were pits and pit fills of later medieval date. At the side of the standing buildings a surface of cobbles and pebbles was identified as a road, although it did not compare well with that excavated by L.P. Wenham in the property next door. This was sealed with a build-up of material dated to the late 3rd to early 4th century above with there was further build-up of garden soil, and small pits dating to the medieval period. The presence of cattle horn cores suggests bone-working occurred in the vicinity. An 18th century rubbish pit contained rare evidence of elephant ivory in the form of fragments of unfinished combs. To the rear of the building a significant depth of cultivated soil graded gradually from the 19th century to Roman in date.