The Deansway Archaeology Project was initiated in 1988 in advance of the redevelopment of a large part of the centre of Worcester. The area (centred at NGR SO 849 548) consisted of small commercial premises, redundant municipal buildings and carparks. A major retail development was proposed with extensive basement areas, and it was clear that any archaeological remains on the site would be affected by the development.
The archaeological potential of the site had been demonstrated by an archaeological evaluation in 1985, which showed that archaeological deposits up to 3.0m deep survived on the site and related to occupation from the Roman period to the 19th century. The site is a scheduled ancient monument (SAM Here & Worc 343c; registered on the County Sites and Monuments Record as HWCM 3899).
A large part of the development site was excavated by Hereford and Worcester County Archaeological Service between 1988 and 1989, directed by Charles Mundy. The project received financial support from English Heritage, the site developers (latterly the Crown Estate), the Manpower Services Commission, and Worcester City Council.
Extensive post-excavation work was carried out between the completion of the excavation in 1989 and 1991, but unfortunately the costs of analysis exceeded the available resources, and the project languished for a number of years with work on the final report uncompleted. Following discussions between the County Archaeological Service and English Heritage, an agreement was reached on a final programme of work to complete outstanding analysis and report preparation. Work commenced in September 1996 and will be completed in 1998.
The excavation lay in the centre of the medieval city and offered an excellent opportunity to gain a detailed understanding of the development of urban life between the late Anglo Saxon and post-medieval periods. A major national research theme addressed by the project was that of understanding the sequence of growth and decline in the larger towns and cities of England (English Heritage 1991, Exploring our past: strategies for the archaeology of England, p40). It was anticipated that the results of the excavation would contribute to other national research themes, including:
The project comprised the excavation of four separate areas, staged to be completed in advance of the construction schedule, as well as provision for salvage excavation during construction. A comprehensive programme of wet-sieving deposits was adopted to maximise the recovery of small animal bone and plant macrofossils, in order to provide a sound body of evidence for agriculture in the hinterland and food consumption in the developing urban community. A range of analytical techniques were used on the residues of industrial activities (at various periods industries carried out on the site included ironworking, bronzeworking, glass manufacture and limeburning).
"Dark earth". During the course of the excavation an extensive soil deposit was recorded which separated Roman and late Anglo-Saxon deposits. Such deposits, called "dark earths", are known from other towns although their origin remains debatable. This deposit was investigated using soil micromorphology (as well as intensive bulk sampling for artefacts) in order to determine the origin of the deposit and to elucidate the nature of post-Roman landuse. The results of the soil micromorphology analyses are available in an Ancient Monuments Laboratory report (R I Macphail (1991), Soil report on the Deansway Archaeology Project Worcester, English Heritage Ancient Monuments Laboratory report 82/91). The potential and effectiveness of soil micromorphology for understanding site development in Worcester have been described elsewhere (H Dalwood (1992), The use of soil micromorphology for investigating site formation processes, in Interpretation of stratigraphy: a review of the art (ed K Steane), City of Lincoln Archaeological Report 31, 3-6).
The excavations recorded substantial buried remains, and the results allowed a detailed understanding of the development of settlement in Worcester from the Roman period to the early post-medieval period. From the later Anglo-Saxon period intensive occupation led to the build-up of ground levels, intercut by pits.
Prehistoric. A few features at the base of the stratigraphic sequence are probably pre-Iron Age in date. In the event the excavated area appeared to lie outside any focus of Iron Age settlement, although a single horse burial dated to this period was excavated.
Roman. The earliest Roman occupation consisted of agricultural buildings, a threshing floor, and stock enclosures. In the second century or later the area was subdivided into regular plots by metalled trackways. In one plot iron ore was smelted in furnaces and large amounts of waste slag were recovered; analysis of this material has illuminated the technological capability of the industry. No evidence for smithing was recovered, and it is clear that iron was produced for use elsewhere. Neighbouring plots were used for agricultural activities and domestic occupation. In the late third or fourth century the ironworking furnaces were dismantled and were replaced by an inhumation cemetery, but it is known ironworking carried on in other parts of the settlement.
Post-Roman. Roman deposits were overlain with a "dark earth" deposit (mentioned above), which started developing in the late Roman period. Soil micromorphology showed that for an extended period (between the 4th and late 9th century) the area was pasture, although there was evidence for various other activities, in the form of occasional finds and a small hearth.
Late Anglo-Saxon. Urban occupation recommenced in the late 9th century after five centuries of agricultural use. The earth and clay bank of the defences of the Anglo-Saxon burh was recorded, which documentary sources indicate was constructed between AD 890 and 905. Regular household plots were laid out orientated on a pre-existing trackway; houses, pits and industrial activities were recorded (notably lime-burning for the manufacture of mortar). In the 9th century, domestic pottery was entirely imported from outside the local area, and the metalwork also showed widespread contacts.
Medieval. The period from the 11th century saw an intensification of urban occupation, with the gradual takeover of the rear of plots for crafts and industries, including iron smithing and commercial-scale baking. From the later thirteenth the most important industry was bronze-working, with the industrial premises occupying a backplot and including a substantial brick furnace, timber workshops and cylindrical pits for bell-casting (see reconstruction drawing ).
There were large quantities of clay moulds and bronze slag, the analysis of which showed that the main products of the workshop comprised cauldrons, skillets, candlesticks and other domestic utensils; personal ornaments such as buckles were also important. The number of bells cast on the site was probably quite small,
Post-medieval. There was reconstruction of medieval buildings in the centuries subsequent to 1500. The use of backplots for major industries ceased, and plots were subdivided for use as gardens.
The excavations provided important new information on a range of current research questions:
The final analysis and report preparation stage commenced in September 1996. It is proposed that the final report will be published as a monograph report in the CAB Research report series. An interim report on the excavations has been published in the local archaeological journal (C H Dalwood, V A Buteux and R A Jackson (1992), Interim report on excavations at Deansway, Worcester, 1988-89, Transactions Worcestershire Archaeological Soc, 13, 40-7). The broad model of site development has been integrated into developing research frameworks for the city of Worcester as a whole, and some aspects of this have been published (N J Baker et al (1992), From Roman to medieval Worcester: development and planning in the Anglo-Saxon city, Antiquity 66, 65-74).
During the course of the excavation the site was open to the public, and visited by over 30,000 people including many school parties. The use of a large urban excavation as an educational resource is exploited in an English Heritage video (Archaeology at work: Looking for and uncovering the past, English Heritage Education Service, ref XT 10505). A number of reconstruction drawings were commissioned by the developers and these are displayed within a public square within the new shopping centre.
Further information on any aspect of the project can be obtained from the project officer: Hal Dalwood, Hereford and Worcester County Archaeological Service, Tolladine Road, Worcester WR4 9NB (tel 01905 613877). The Hereford and Worcester County Archaeological Service is on the internet and information on the wider activities of the Service can be found at http://www.open.gov.uk/hereford/pages/archhome.htm.
