Archaeology Notes

Event ID 650792

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/650792

NT27NE 1551 c. 268 765

NT 268 765 An archaeological excavation was undertaken between March and August 2003 at the former Dalziel's Garage, in order to fulfil a condition of planning consent.

After an initial desk-based assessment, an evaluation of the site revealed post-medieval deposits surviving along the western edge, despite substantial modern disturbance. A number of WW2 air raid shelters covered most of the rest of the site, and had largely destroyed any earlier features that may have been present.

The excavation recorded the location of five air raid shelters across the site and a number of post-medieval tenement walls, prior to their removal by machine. A demolition or levelling deposit, containing 17th to 19th-century finds, was located in the southern part of the site. Four test pits were excavated through this material to determine the depth of deposits. This material sealed a mortar-rich demolition deposit, which filled a substantial cut feature along the southern edge of the site.

Natural deposits on the site consisted of Holocene beach sands overlain by windblown sand, which formed large dunes. This is typical for this part of Leith, although the top of the sand dune surviving here was heavily truncated, suggesting any earlier deposits would have been removed.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Morningside Development Company.

E Jones 2003.