"A rescue intervention": 20 years on, report reveals medieval shoes, cutlery and more found at Scottish shopping centre

This article originally appeared on Culture24.

A new report shows the medieval shoes, pottery, cutlery and antlers found during a shopping centre development in Scotland

The watching brief archaeologists were restricted to during the redevelopment of a shopping centre in Perth more than 20 years ago was unavoidable given the machinery in operation to create the “massively robust” foundations of St John’s Square.

Between April 1985 and August 1986, the team monitored 389 foundation pile holes and cleaned and recorded 186 trenches and manholes unearthed by the construction contractor. Despite never carrying out an excavation, they found an impressive amount of medieval evidence.

Catherine Smith, the compiler of a new publication looking at the finds, describes the job as “a rescue intervention in the broadest sense of the word.” “The archaeologists managed to record and recover what they could under testing and hazardous circumstances, but it was an exercise we hope will not be repeated in urban environments again, where deposits of human occupation can be deep and complex and full of information,” she says.

“Timbers, surfaces and floors and hearths and burning were observed near the High Street, with a lesser concentration behind South Street, near the south-west corner of the site. These are the areas where archaeological features would be expected, situated on or close to the medieval street frontages.

“The watching briefs had shortcomings that could not be avoided. Few organic remains were collected for botanical analysis, for species identification or for the identification of tool marks on wood. Today these would be a matter of general archaeological methodology as well as the collection of samples for the scientific analysis of clays and organic sediments.

“Radiocarbon dating of materials from St John’s Square was also lacking because suitable materials could not be collected. They would have helped considerably in the dating of the structures and activities on the site, and in the understanding of the changes in development of the burgh and its buildings over time.”

The artefacts, originally collected with Historic Scotland funding and now published with the help of the successor organisation, Historic Environment Scotland, are still impressive: three timber buildings could date from the 13th century, concurrent with pottery made from local Redware and imported Yorkshire Type wares. “The Yorkshire Type wares imply that no deposits any earlier than the 13th or 14th centuries were recovered from the watching briefs,” says Derek Hall, the pottery analyst.

“It is very striking that there are no examples of the 12th century imported fabrics which were recovered from excavations on the opposite northern High Street frontage of this part of Perth. The imported Low Countries Redwares and the Rhenish Stoneware, as well as the Yorkshire Types wares, indicate the importance of sea-borne trade across the North Sea and up the east coast of the British Isles in the medieval period.

“These quality wares were imported into Perth and may well have influenced the development and production of the Redware industry in Scotland.”

A wooden-handled medieval knife and fork, wooden pegs and pins, rope, antler offcuts and fragments of dozens of leather shoes were also discovered in excellent soil conditions. “Nowhere else in the burgh has such a concentration of antler offcuts been found,” says Smith. “It is apparent that a workshop, perhaps producing combs, must have been located there.

“The craft workshops were probably located close together in the backlands, with the raw materials of the various trades readily available. Traditionally, similar trades were clustered together in the medieval burghs, and it is notable that South Street continued to be home to many of Perth’s cobblers until the early modern period, the street being known variously as ‘Shoegate’ or ‘Shaegate’ up until the 18th century.”

The High Street in Linlithgow – a town notable for its leather work – is the only other place where an assemblage of antler of this size has been found. The forks would have been used to carve meat and eat small delicacies, with the use of forks as table cutlery only established during the second half of the 17th century. An iron heckle tooth and a ceramic spindle whorl point to textile preparation in the area.

“The watching briefs showed us that the research questions need to be answered on a much bigger scale than a restricted pile hole or narrow trench,” says Smith. “But information was gained for all that, and it was information that otherwise would have been lost for ever.”

• Read the full report at ARO (opens in pdf).

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Three medieval places to see

Lincoln Medieval Bishops' Palace
Built in the late 12th century, the palace was one of the most important buildings in England. Its architecture and scale reflect the enormous wealth and power of the medieval bishops as princes of the church.

Castle Fraser, Grampian
As you venture through the castle and up to the round tower, with its panoramic views of the gardens and estate beyond, you get a sense of life from the medieval to the Victorian period. One of the most evocative rooms is the strikingly simple Great Hall.

Dryburgh Abbey, Scottish Borders
Sitting by the Tweed River, Dryburgh's remarkably complete medieval ruins makes it easy to appreciate the attractions of monastic life.

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art552044-perth-john-square-shopping-archaeology-medieval