Agenda item

A brief history of the ward followed by a presentation of new archaeological findings from the Barbican site by John Oxley, City Archaeologist and representatives from the contractor OnSite Archaeology.

John Oxley, City of York Council archaeologist gave a brief speech about the history of the area, how the city has been in continuous occupation for more than 2,000 years. He explained that recently there had been excavations where the Novotel is now and where the bingo hall is. The area is on the tip of a glacial moraine and there is evidence of settlement here from pre-history. Excavations show layers of evidence. In the middle ages there was the Gilbertine Priory of St. Andrew and other churches. Some of the existing modern roads will run along old parish boundaries. He then introduced Graham Bruce from OnSite Archaeology.

Graham gave a presentation with slides of the dig at the Kent Street site. He explained that there was a church there but that only the cobble built foundations still remained. Much of the archaeology was disturbed when the car park had been built and when the cattle market was constructed. The top of the archaeology had been shaved off and drains dug through graves. In form the church was Medieval laid out East to West with the nave at the west end.

In total there were something like 650 burials in the relatively small site. Some of the burials were straight forward. Others were more confusing with people buried on top of previous graves and graves cut through old burials. In some of the burials up to six bodies had been placed side by side. In some items had been buried with the bodies which was unusual. Some bodies were buried curled up in a position similar prehistoric burials. There was one body interred in the Chancel with a chalice near the head. This was likely to be the vicar or it could be the Abbot from Whitby Abbey.

As they continued the dig they found more and more multiple burials many not wrapped or in coffins and not always face-up. Of the 650 burials over 100 were from multiple graves. 30 to 40 of the bodies have been analysed and they are all men aged between 15 and 50. This could be a military profile but there are no marks of injury or what you’d expect to see from people killed in battle. They are hoping there will be a television programme about it soon. He did want to acknowledge the people who did the digging.

Q. What is going to happen with the bodies?

A. They will be cleaned, lifted, analysed to find out how they died. They may end up in a museum although there have been discussions about building a mausoleum to house them on site. The church has been deconsecrated since the 16^th Century.

Q. How did you know how where to dig?

A. It was a long process. It started in late 1980s. Some time ago small trenches were dug in lots of places and it was very clear that the area contained some important archaeology. The church is well aligned with Kent Street and Fawcett Street, this was because Kent Street was an ancient boundary. A lot of churches disappeared in the area. There were hills here up to 180 years ago when they were levelled. This dig was paid for by Persimmon Homes as part of their contract.

Q. Where can I find information about local history?

A. Central Library or the City Records Office. It’s the door on the right hand side of the Art Gallery. There’s also the imagine York website which has 5,000 to 10,000 pictures. Some of the schools have visited the site and it is now visible because we’ve got open fencing there now. It was possible before due to the law concerning the archaeology of dead bodies.

Q. Do you have any ideas why so many burials happened at about the same time.

A. Mass graves are usually the last thing to happen. There was a major plague epidemic in 1604 but that doesn’t answer why the bodies are men of military age. Towton was described as the most savage battle in the 15^th Century with 28,000 deaths. Another possibility is that they come from the siege of York. 25,000 people besieged the city. (The cavalry had been sent to Newcastle for their protection. The bodies could come form an illness related to the besieging army.