Excavation

Date 1 June 2009 - 30 June 2009

Event ID 605022

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/605022

NJ 9426 0650 Conversion of Marischal College into the new headquarters of Aberdeen City Council involved gutting the standing buildings, engineering work to retain the facades and the construction of new walls and services.

Phase 1 Garden soil levels pre-date all construction at this site; small amounts of medieval pottery and bone were recovered from these levels.

Phase 2 Buildings probably belonging to (but possibly pre-dating) the Franciscan friary which occupied part of

the site from the mid 15th century. A series of stone walls, pits (including one containing two complete 15th- to 16th century pots), postholes and a dump of rubbish, including pottery, ceramic floor tile, stone roof tile and window glass, are probably of friary origin. The Greyfriars Church stood on a NW–SE alignment until the early 20th century, when it was removed to make way for a new frontage for Marischal College. No structural evidence of the church was uncovered, but possible cloister walls which survived to a height of 1.5m were recorded. A series of seven burials of older male individuals with their hands clasped were buried with their heads to the SW against a cloister wall.

Phase 3 From the late 16th century the friary buildings were occupied by the newly founded Marischal College.

College buildings were regularly added and refurbished; some of these demolished buildings survive under the

Quadrangle to a height of over 1m. Plastered walls, doors, windows and a fireplace were recorded.

Phase 4 We recorded the 19th-century development of Marischal College in the form of a demolished wing and

numerous drains, some containing glass stirrers and other objects that had probably been discarded down the drains from the laboratories of one of the science departments which were housed in Marischal College. This work was undertaken 1–30 June 2009.

Archive: Aberdeen City Council and RCAHMS

Funder: Aberdeen City Council

Alison Cameron – Aberdeen City Council Archaeological Unit