Hungate Exploratory Excavations, Phase 1. Introduction

The Hungate Archaeological Project: Exploratory Excavations, Phase 1 (YAT Report No 27)

York Archaeological Trust

Introduction

Location and Scope of Work

Following a preliminary desk-top study and bore-hole survey (Macnab 1999a, 1999b and 1999c) an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by York Archaeological Trust (YAT) on behalf of Land Securities Ltd. in the Hungate area of York (NGR SE 6070 5187). The evaluation took place between 10th January and 17th March 2000. The positions of the trenches are shown on Figure 1. Approximately 0.3% of the proposed 40,000 square metre development area was evaluated. The evaluation was carried out to a specification agreed with John Oxley, the Principal Archaeologist for the City of York.

Aims

The general evaluation objectives were:

To establish the presence/absence of archaeological remains within the proposed development area.
To determine as far as was reasonably possible, the location, extent, date, character, condition, significance and quality of any surviving archaeology.
To make available the results of the investigation.

The Evaluation Brief

The research objectives agreed with John Oxley are listed below. These were not exclusive and were amended and expanded to take account of the data which came to light during the evaluation programme:

pre-Roman exploitation of the Foss Valley;
the possible use of this area as a focus for waterfront activities during the Roman period and Anglo-Scandinavian periods;
the impact of the flooding of the Foss Valley in 1068;
the location, origins and development of the churches of All Saints, Peasholme and St.John-in-the-Marsh and their associated cemeteries;
the layout and development of the Carmelite Friary;
the origins and development of the street pattern in this area and in particular of Hungate;
the changing environmental characteristics of the Foss valley in the post-glacial period.

Methodology

The evaluation was based on a small sample (0.3%) of the development area and consisted of 14 trenches (Figure 1). The trenches varied in size ranging from 1.00m x 1.55m to 8.20m x 2.00m. For post-excavation analysis purposes the trenches were divided into eight groups, according to their position on the site and the research objectives of the project. The following table shows the allocation of trenches to their appropriate group.

	Group	Trenches
	Table of Groups
	1	1
	2	8
	3	11 & 12
	4	13&14
	5	15, 16 & 18
	6	19 & 20
	7	24
	8	25

The location and research objectives of each group are described in the appropriate section of the excavation results text, together with the location and sizes of the trenches concerned.

A JCB site master mechanical excavator with a toothless ditching bucket removed the overburden deposits, under close archaeological supervision, to the uppermost significant archaeological horizon in most trenches. The two exceptions were Trenches 14 and 24. To excavate the former by machine would have blocked Palmer Lane, which is a busy bus route and access road. This trench was therefore completely hand excavated after the initial breaking out of a concrete surface. The latter trench had some access problems and so a mini mechanical excavator (3.5 ton Kubota) was used to remove the overburden. The trenches were then cleaned and all archaeological deposits were hand excavated to determine their extent and nature and to retrieve finds. Excavation continued to the top of natural geology or to a maximum depth limit of 1.5m below the present ground surface in the majority of the trenches. Trench 15 (3m deep) and Trench 20 (5.50m deep) were the two exceptions. All archaeological features were planned at a scale of 1:20 using the single context planning system. At least one long section of each of the trenches was recorded at a scale of 1:10, unless the stratification was very simple, in which case a scale of 1:20 was used. All significant archaeological deposits were photographed using colour print film. Slide photographs were also taken. Recording followed procedures laid down in the YAT Context Recording Manual (1996).

All finds and the site records are currently stored with YAT under the Yorkshire Museum accession codes YORYM: 2000.1 to YORYM: 2000.14.

Geology and Topography

This has already been extensively covered in the preliminary desk-top study and bore-hole surveys (Macnab 1999a, 1999b and 1999c) and these should be consulted for details.

Archaeological and Historical Background

This has already been extensively covered in the preliminary desk-top study and bore-hole surveys (Macnab 1999a, 1999b and 1999c) and these should be consulted for details.