Excavation

Date June 1994 - November 1994

Event ID 551042

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/551042

Large scale excavation of the site was carried out from June to November 1994 prior to development. Four trenches were excavated; located over the areas of substantial archaeological deposits and structures previously identified. A survey was also carried out of the upstanding structures within the development area.

Trench A: The earliest features were cross-cutting cultivation marks in the natural sand. These were overlain by substantial middens; preliminary dating of the pottery suggests the middens date from the 12th to the 13th century. A 12th/13th-century oven was located on the S edge of Trench A and a hearth found on the E side of the trench may be contemporary.

The foundations of a mid to late medieval structure of mortared rubble construction were located on the W side of the trench. The structure was orientated E-W with a horseshoe-shaped, stone-lined tank on its NE external corner. To the E of this structure were the foundations of a second stone building, apparently of similar age, with a large fireplace in its N wall, its base formed from yellow glazed tiles. A sandstone- lined well, probably post-medieval, located near the centre, remained unexcavated below water level. Adjacent to the well was a stone-built tank with flagstone floor and infilled with early 19th-century debris.

Trench B: This area had been at both the N and S ends disturbed by modern landscaping. The S end of the trench was truncated to the level of 12th 13th-century middens overlying natural beach sand. In the centre of the trench were the stone foundations of a medieval structure consisting of a substantial curving wall with five sleeper walls protecting radially from its outer face, creating discrete areas with central areas of burning. Provisional dating suggests this structure dates to the 14th/15th centuries. The foundations of a substantial mid-17th-century stone building, fronting onto Water Street, overlay this structure on the E side.

Trench E/I: This area contained a complex sequence of medieval midden spreads, dating from the 12th century overlying natural beach sand. The middens were cut by various later medieval and post-medieval pits. The foundations of a large E-W orientated post-medieval building overlay the middens.

Trench E/II: This represented the main area of excavation and was totally excavated, to a depth of up to 2.3m ofarchaeological deposits. Within this area several residual prehistoric flint artefacts were recovered although no pre-medieval contexts were identified.

The initial phase of occupation was represented by five double-flued bowl furnaces associated with a complex array of post holes and stake holes representing timber structures. This industrial activity was separated by a fence-line from an adjacent plot which was in use for cultivation. demonstrated by the presence of plough and spade marks within the primary soil deposits. Post dating the furnaces were the clay-cored stone foundations of two N-S orientated buildings (provisionally dated to the mid-late 12th century).

The northern building appeared to have had an earlier purely timber, phase. A large rectangular clay-built cistern was situated to the N of the buildings with associated alignments of post holes which may also represent further timber buildings associated with this phase of activity. To the E, above the earlier cultivation, rich and extensive midden deposits were found, containing particularly dense accumulations of oyster shells. The next phase of the building at the N end of the trench incorporated a line of three bread ovens within its W wall.

Following the disuse of the ovens a complex sequence of building from the 13th century to the late medieval period was revealed with continual re-use of pre-existing walls, all walls being of clay-cored rubble construction. Towards the later medieval period this area displayed evidence of cultivation with the accumulation of soil deposits over earlier structures. The N-S aligned property boundaries established in the earliest phase were maintained throughout this period.

The character of the occupation apparently changed in the mid 17th century when substantial mortar-bonded stone buildings apparently for industrial purposes, were constructed across much of the site, with subsequent rebuilding and structural alterations.

Sponsors: Port of Leith Housing Association (on behalf of Scottish Homes) and City of Edinburgh District Council.

M A Collard and D Reed 1994.