YORYM 1997.96 - FETTER LANE, YORK

Ceramic Building Materials & Stone

S Garside-Neville

Roman Material

The bulk of the sample consists of Roman material. This ranges from roof tile (tegula and imbrex) to flue tile (with combed keying) and brick (which can be used in 22/6/04 and walls). The combing of the flue tile probably starts to be used from the early 2nd century onward. There are both large and small flanges to the tegula, which may indicate a military and a civilian phase. Opus Signinum (Roman concrete) appears frequently with the Roman material.

Daub appears with Roman material in several contexts. Daub can be used as walling, but could also be used in ovens.

Also occurring mostly with Roman material is a fine-grained sandstone. This may have been used as roofing material (though there is no example of a nailhole). However, some of the material appears to have been worn, so may have been used as flooring.

Some of the ceramic building material has mortar along broken edges which probably indicates reuse.

Medieval Material

Medieval material is represented by plain and peg roofing tile. This material begins to be used from the 13th century, and is used throughout the medieval period. In two contexts there appears to be medieval brick (judging by the measurements).

Post Medieval Material

Pan tile was used from the 17th century onwards, though came into more common use by the 18th century. There are several fragments of pan tile in this sample.

Recommendations

It is recommended that this sample be retained until such time as further study of this area of York takes place. The finds indicate a substantial, multi-phased Roman building or buildings in the vicinity. When fully recorded and identified, much of the sample could then be dispersed.

Context Listing

Context Form/s Date

u/s Roman pottery, Pan tile, Imbrex 17th+

1001 Brick (slop moulded, indented, 53mm), 14th+

Brick (slop moulded, 50mm), Plain

1004 Plain (reused), Peg 13th+

1006 Roman pottery, Sandstone, Plain, Roman 13th+

brick

1007 Sandstone, Roman brick Roman

1009 Sandstone (?paving), Imbrex, Roman potteryRoman

1010 Roman brick, Op Sig., Sandstone Roman

1011 Sandstone, Daub, Roman brick Roman

1012 Roman brick Roman

1014 Daub, Roman brick Roman

1015 Roman brick (reused), Roman pottery, Roman

Sandstone, Roman brick (finger-keyed)

1016 Roman brick Roman

1017 Roman brick Roman

1018 Tegula (small flange, burnt), Tegula (small Roman

flange, reused), Imbrex, Pottery, Roman

brick, Daub

1019 Imbrex, Roman brick, Sandstone (?roof tile) Roman

Roman pottery, Tegula (small flange), Flue

tile (combed), Roman brick (vitrified)

1024 Sandstone, Roman brick, Tegula (small Roman

flange, abraded), Roman pottery

2000 Pan tile, Op Sig. 17th+

2002 Imbrex (reused), Plain, Imbrex 13th+

(?start of stamp), Box flue (combed)

Op Sig.

2003 Tegula, Roman brick, Brick (50mm) 14th+

2005 Op Sig., ?Tessera Roman

2006 Plain, Peg, Peg (reused), Limestone 13th+

2007 Op Sig., Pottery, Plain ?Imbrex 13th+

2008 Plain 13th+

2011 Op Sig., Slate 18th+

2012 Plain, Peg 13th+

2013 Plain, Op Sig. 13th+

2017 Op Sig., Roman brick (inc pila) Tegula ?14th+

(small flange), Imbrex, Daub, Tegula (large

size, reused), Plain (?14th)

2018 Plain 13th+