YORMA 1995.1 – MERCHANT ADVENTURERS’ HALL, YORK

 

Ceramic Building Materials

 

S Garside-Neville

 

Introduction

This assessment report covers two phases of excavation at the Hall.  There are 13 boxes in all, and the material in each was viewed to ascertain its form, and to observe any dating.

 

Medieval material

The majority of the collection is datable to the medieval period.  Forms present include roofing material, brick and flooring.

 

The roofing material consists of peg tile in the normal form for York, with a central peg hole.   As there are other forms, such as nib tile, where a fragment has had no identifiable method of hanging, it has been classified as 'plain'.   Ridge tiles from this site comprise of glazed, crested and plain material.  These forms of roofing are currently thought to date from the early 13th century onwards.  There is a possibility that the glazed ridge tile is actually curved tile from the curved and flanged system of roofing which dates to between the 12th and early 13th century.

 

Brick, with typical medieval measurements, is present.  The bricks tend to be narrower, broader and longer than later forms, and there are often indented borders.  This material is normally found with other finds dating from the 14th century onwards.

 

In the first phase, large quantities of floor tiles were found.  These were plain-glazed tiles, typically around one inch (25mm+) thick and between seven and eight inches (190mm+) square, with a bevel.  The glazes ranged from yellow-green to brown-black.  This type of tile is thought to be imported from the Netherlands, and dates from the late 14th century to the 16th century.   The floor tiles from this site show signs of reuse - with mortar on the glazed surface and on broken edges - so are probably associated with later activity.

 

Post medieval material

Pantile is found on the site, and at its earliest dates from the 17th century onwards.

 

Brick with atypical medieval measurements is found in some contexts, so these have been dated from the 16th century onwards.  Some measurements are defintely closer to modern measurements and have been dated to 19th century.

 

LISTING

 

Context           Form/s                                                                         Date

u/s                    Plain glazed floor tile                                                     l. 14th

1003                Plain glazed floor tile, Brick,

                                    Plain (reused), Peg, ?Ridge                               l. 14th+

1006                Plain                                                                             14th+

1007                Brick                                                                            14th+

1009                Brick                                                                            14th-15th

1015                ?Ridge/Curved, Glazed ?ridge/curved,

                                    Peg,     Plain, Plain glazed floor

                                    tile,  Limestone, Brick                                       l. 14th+

1016                Plain glazed floor tile, Brick, Peg,

                                    Plain (reused), ?Glazed

                                    Ridge/curved                                                    16th+

1017                Brick, Plain glazed floor tile, Peg                                   16th+

1018                Plain glazed floor tile, Brick (reused)

                                    Brick                                                                14th+

1020                Peg                                                                              13th+

1021                Brick, Plain                                                                   14th+

1023                Plain, Plain glazed floor tile                                            l 14th+

1026                Plain, Brick                                                                   14th+

1032                Brick                                                                            ?14th

1035                Brick                                                                            14th-15th

1037                Brick                                                                            14th-15th

1042                Limestone, Plain, Peg, Brick, Crested

                                    Ridge                                                               14th+

1043                Plain, Mortar, Peg                                                        13th+

1044                Peg, Brick                                                                    14th+

2001                Peg, Brick                                                                    14th-15th

2003                Pan, Peg                                                                       17th+

2004                Pan, Modern floor, Plain                                               19th+

2005                Pan, Plain                                                                     17th+

2006                Brick                                                                            ?16th+

2008                Brick                                                                            14th-15th

2013                Brick                                                                            ?14th+

2014                Brick, Plain                                                                   14th-15th

2018                Brick, Plain                                                                   ?14th+

2020                Plain, Peg, Ridge                                                          13th+

2026                Mortar, Plain, Ridge                                                     13th+

2029                Plain, Peg, Ridge, Brick                                                14th-15th

2031                ?Plain                                                                           ?13th+

2032                Plain                                                                             13th+

2034/6 Peg, Plain                                                                                 13th+

2035                Peg, Plain, Brick                                                           14th-15th

2040                Plain, ?Crested ridge                                                     13th+

2042                Plain, Brick                                                                   14th-15th

2043                Brick/Tile                                                                     ?

2046                Plain                                                                             13th+

2051                Brick                                                                            ?16th+

2055                Brick                                                                            19th+

 

 

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