Monument record MLI52049 - Early Medieval Cemetery Site, Silver Street/Bridge Street, Gainsborough
Summary
Early medieval cemetery site at the junction of Silver Street and Bridge Street, Gainsborough.
Type and Period (5)
- BURIAL (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1250 AD)
- CEMETERY (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1250 AD)
- GRAVE (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1250 AD)
- INHUMATION (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1250 AD)
- PIT (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1250 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Two human skeletons were found in sand 3ft 6ins below the pavement in Silver Street in 1969. {1}{2}
There is evidence for a chapel in this area (see PRN 52061), according to Leyland in 1538 there was "an old chapelle of stone yn the South Part of Gainesborow, wher they of the Tourne say that many Danes be buried." Although this is tentative it may be an indicator that area is indeed a cemetery. {3}
The watching brief/rescue excavation at SK 8142 8974 revealed in total six articulated skeletons and perhaps three further burials, indicated by disarticulated remains. One of the burials has been laid out with care, with a clearly defined grave cut, aligned east-west in an extended position, this is typical of a Christian burial. Other burials were aligned in a similar way perhaps indicating that they are all part of the same formal burial area. Not all the burials are at the same depth, which may be suggestive that burials were carried out here over an extended period of time. Unfortunately sexing and ageing of the skeletal remains was difficult, it is known that out of the 9 identified skeletons only one was a child, aged 5-6 years at death. Only four other adult skeletons were further identified, two as male and died 48-60 and 25-40 respectively. The other two could not be sexed but are believed to be aged at death as 45-60 and 30-44.
A single sherd of 12th-13th century pottery was recovered from the site. The reference Leyland made to the Danes suggests a date earlier than this, but a single sherd of medieval pottery cannot provide positive dating evidence. {4}{5}
A site visit was undertaken by the Archaeology Department at Lincolnshire County Council in May 2010 when bone was found during the regeneration of Gainsborough Market Place. The bone was confirmed as two articulated human skeletons and an archaeology company was commissioned to record and excavate the remains. {6}
Seventeen separate inhumation burials were found during further work in 2010. They were mostly in good condition, although some had been previously disturbed or partially truncated. The individuals buried here were a cross section of the population with male and female and young and old being represented. Pottery associated with the burials was consistently of eleventh to early thirteenth century and all the burials had been interred following Christian burial practices. A quantity of disarticulated bone was also recovered from a charnel pit and overlying soils from which three further individuals were identified. This concentration of burials confirms the existence of a medieval cemetery here, perhaps associated with the chapel mentioned by John Leland in the sixteenth century. Eleventh to early thirteenth century pottery, animal remains and a pit containing 11th to 12th century pottery was also found. {7}{8}
Sources/Archives (8)
- <1> SLI3029 Index: Gainsborough SMR cards. GAINSBOROUGH. SK88 NW: P.
- <2> SLI1305 Correspondence: KILLELAY, D.. 1969. PARISH FILE. GAINSBOROUGH. -.
- <3> SLI8046 Bibliographic Reference: Moor, C. Revd. 1904. A History of Gainsborough.
- <4> SLI8044 Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2002. Archaeological Watching Brief/Rescue Excavation Report: Silver Street / Bridge Street, Gainsborough. SSG 02.
- <5> SLI8045 Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2002. Archaeological Watching Brief/Rescue Excavation Report: Silver Street / Bridge Street, Gainsborough. LCNCC:2002.228.
- <6> SLI12930 Verbal Communication: Thornton, A.. 2010. Personal Communication.
- <7> SLI13372 Report: Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd. 2011. Land at the Junction of Bridge Street and Silver Street, Gainsborough. PCAS site code: BSGH10.
- <8> SLI13373 Archive: Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd. 2011. Land at the Junction of Bridge Street and Silver Street, Gainsborough. LCNCC 2011.50.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 8141 8976 (73m by 73m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | GAINSBOROUGH, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- Event - Intervention: Land at the Junction of Bridge Street and Silver Street, Gainsborough (ELI10812)
- Event - Survey: Site visit to 1 Wold View, Caistor (ELI10413)
- Event - Survey: Site visit to Silver Street, Gainsborough (ELI10412)
- Event - Intervention: Watching brief at Silver Street/ Bridge Street (ELI3334)
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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