Remains of a Medieval Building Discovered in Lincoln
Construction workers in the English city of Lincoln have discovered a medieval wall, which is believed to have been part of a 12th-century house or shop..
The find was made as they tore down a three-storey brick building at High Street and Tentercroft Street, which lies just south of the city centre, as part of a project to build a new road through Lincoln. Archaeologists were called in to carry out a survey on the site
Based on initial findings it is thought that the wall may be part of a building dating from the High Medieval period, perhaps around the 12th century.
Leigh Brocklehurst, from Pre-Construct Archaeology, explained, “Our initial excavation work has unearthed a wall which looks to be Medieval or earlier. Nearby on the site we have also started to uncover what is essentially a cross section in time; behind a Medieval wall we can see several layers which each date from a different period, from Victorian to Medieval and Roman at the very bottom.
“You can see pieces of pottery and bone through the layers allowing us to date them. Although we have what looks like a Medieval dwelling, we do not know at this stage its purpose – whether it was residential or if a trade was carried out here. It is a very exciting discovery and we will now start to carefully dig around each discovery to see what else we can find out about the site’s past.” imprisonment for this act, which suggests they were not above living outside the law.
Archaeologists are expected to continue to explore the extent of the remains over the next few weeks, by which time the county archaeologist and other senior officers will have best determined how to treat the remains, with options at present being to preserve in situ, remove for conservation, or incorporate into the new building so that a degree of public access can be provided.
Medieval Wall in Lincoln – photo courtesy Lincolnshire County Council