YORYM 1995.506 – ST MARTIN WITH ST HELEN CHURCHYARD, CONEY ST, YORK

 

CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIALS

 

S Garside-Neville

 

Roman Material

A small amount of the sample is Roman in date, and includes examples of roof tile (tegula and imbrex) and one fragment of box flue tile, which would have been used in a Roman central heating system.

 

Medieval Material

The majority of the sample was medieval roof tile.  There were examples of early medieval forms (curved and flanged tiles) which can be dated to between the 12th and early 13th century.  However, the most common form was the plain, flat roof tile, (which is used in conjunction with ridge tiles).  This type of roof tile appears from the13th century, and is used throughout the medieval and post medieval periods.  There were no pieces that showed the method of suspension (which can be a peg-hole, a raised clay nib, or a combination of both), but experience shows that these fragments are likely to be part of peg tiles. There are occurrences of a plain roof tile fabric which occurs from the 14th century onward.  A few pieces have mortar along a broken edge, which may be a sign of reuse.

 

Besides roof tile, there are a few fragments of fired clay, which may be daub.

 

Comments

The presence of early medieval roof tile hints at a building phase in the area related to that date.

 

 

Context Listing

KEY:

Flanged = 12th-early 13th roof tile

Brick = Will be either Medieval or Post medieval in date, unless otherwise indicated

Imbrex =  Curved Roman roof tile

Plain = Flat roof tile, which could be peg or nib tile

Pot = Sherds included in sample

Tegula = flanged Roman roof tile

Ridge = Tile used with Plain roof tile

 

Cnxt    Form/s                                                                                                 Date

11        Plain, ?Fired clay/Daub, ?Plain/Modern                                                 13th+

13        Plain                                                                                                     14th+

16        Mortar/Plaster, Plain, Brick                                                                   14th+

20        Plain (reused), Ridge (vitrified), ?Tegula, Fired clay, Brick                     14th+

23        Brick, Plain                                                                                           14th+

26        Ridge, Plain (reused)                                                                             14th+

30        ?Pot, Plain                                                                                            14th+

33        Plain                                                                                                     13th+

37        Plain, Oolithic limestone, ?Imbrex/Curved/Ridge (reused)                      13th+

41        Plain (reused), sandstone, Plain                                                             13th+

48        Plain, Peg, Oolithic limestone                                                                ?14th+

51        Plain, Pot                                                                                              13th+

54        Plain, Imbrex                                                                                        13th+

57        Flanged, Plain, Plain (reused), ?Brick/Floor tile                                      13th+

59        Plain, ?Ridge/Curved, Imbrex                                                               13th+

64        Plain                                                                                                     13th+

67        Plain, Roman brick                                                                               13th+

68        Plain, Brick (?reused), Plain (reused), Roman box flue                           13th+

 

6/96

SGN