Undertaking a watching brief at St John's Square - Photo © ARO.
where archaeological features would be expected, situated on or close to the medieval street frontages.”
The absence of such features from the central part of the site reflects the shallow depth of most of the trenches there, and the presence of organic/midden deposits and garden soil there does not mean that structures were not present. A possible ‘foreland’, in front of one structure, was noted on the High Street frontage, and at least two paths, one with a wooden kerb, and a possible early alignment of Meal Vennel were noted extending southwards from High Street. Four paths were recorded behind the South Street frontage, including a possible early version of Meal Vennel itself. Thirteen pits were identified, including two which may have been wood-lined, one which may have been charcoal-lined, and one with clay. The nature of the watching briefs precluded any more detailed interpretation of the site and so limited the identification of features to those that can be paralleled elsewhere in Perth. In particular, it was not possible to radiocarbon date any of the features found on the site, although the three successive timber buildings on the High Street frontage could be thirteenth century in date by association with the artefacts recovered.
The medieval pottery recovered during the watching briefs included some examples of vessels in both the local Redware and imported Yorkshire Type wares.
“It is very striking that there are no examples of the twelfth century imported fabrics which were recovered from excavations on the opposite northern High Street frontage of this part of Perth” said Derek Hall, who analysed the pottery. “The Yorkshire Type wares imply that no deposits any earlier than the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries were recovered from the watching briefs. The imported Low Countries Redwares and the Rhenish Stoneware, as well as the Yorkshire Types wares, indicate the importance of sea-borne trade across the North Sea and up the
east coast of the British Isles in the medieval period. These quality wares were imported into Perth and may well have influenced the development and production of the Redware industry in Scotland.”