By David Knight
Staff of the Nottingham office have recently deposited with the Archaeology Data Service digital versions of the archives of a series of major excavations in the historic core of Nottingham, directed by Charles Young between 1969 and 1980 but as yet unpublished. The data provide a key resource for studies of the early development of Nottingham which has played a key role in the history of England.
The excavations focused upon five sites inside Nottingham’s Anglo-Scandinavian borough, at Drury Hill, Woolpack Lane, Fisher Gate, Boots Garage and Halifax Place, and a site just beyond its northern perimeter at Goose Gate. Trenches were carefully positioned with the aims of locating and characterising the borough defences and of investigating areas of the interior. Important insights into the early development of Nottingham were obtained, but until now the results of this work have only been publicly available in brief summaries.
The first stage of the digitisation project secured and enhanced the site archives preserved in Nottingham City Museum. It involved essential conservation work, repackaging of finds and documentary records and reorganisation of the physical archive. A second stage of work focused upon the development of a comprehensive digital resource aimed at facilitating interrogation by researchers. It also highlighted the potential of these excavations to shed significant light upon a series of key research themes, including the layout and development of the pre-Conquest defences, the structural remains associated with Anglian and Scandinavian occupation, cave morphology and functions, the medieval grain-producing economy and urban diet and medieval ceramic production and distribution.
The project was funded by Historic England, with additional financial assistance from Nottingham City Council, and we extend thanks to both organisations for their support during the course of this work.
