Evidence points towards a Roman building at 105-111 Micklegate, York
Unveiling the Stones:
During the early excavation process in 2022 the York Archaeology team uncovered these large structural stones lying in the base of a modern trench. They appeared to be in a significant linear arrangement.
Further Analysis:
Upon further investigation we discovered that these are large Roman foundation stones, which have been roughly dressed. They are micaceous sandstone, which was commonly used by the Romans for buildings in York, particularly for foundations. You can see the axe/chisel marks from shaping the stones particularly clearly on the second from left stone in Figure 1.
Conclusion:
There is damage on all the stones, which coupled with the spacing indicates that these stones were re-used to form a base, possibly for upright timbers or stone pillars. Clearly there must have been an earlier impressive stone building in the neighbourhood from which these stones were re-used.
Written by: Jane McComish, Project Officer
