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Table 5: 44-45 Parliament Street, York: sediment descriptions for samples from Section 1 (north-west), Trench 1

The order follows the stratigraphic sequence, from uppermost downwards to facilitate cross-referencing. All sediments were recorded as 'moist' or 'just moist'.

Context Height (m AOD) Sample Type of deposit Sediment description
1004 13.7 10001 pit backfill (ss) or levelling deposit lumps of pure light-mid grey clay in a matrix of mid-dark reddish/orange grey-brown firm (working crumbly, then plastic), slightly sandy clay silt with fragments of very rotted wood and rotted mortar to 10mm, traces of charcoal and mm-scale yellowish 'ochre' patches; patch of white 'efflorescence'
1004 13.6 10002 pit backfill (ss) or levelling deposit essentially as 10001; lump of limestone to 150mm and bone to 200mm
1004 13.5 10003 pit backfill (ss) or levelling deposit matrix essentially as 10001/10002 but very little clay
1004 13.4 10004 pit backfill (ss) or levelling deposit essentially like 10003 but some apparently somewhat indurated 'earthy' lumps; mortar to 50mm, twig fragments and tile all present
1017 13.2 10005 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark grey-brown, just consolidated (working plastic), slightly sandy silty clay or clay silt with some organic detritus; mm-scale lighter and darker mottling; some 6-20mm stones, mortar/plaster, brick/tile, pot, charcoal and small and large mammal bone fragments
1017 13.1 10006 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up as 10005 but more homogeneous and more organic
1020 13 10007 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark slightly purplish-brown, soft, crumbly (working plastic) amorphous organic sediment with a clay silt texture; traces of limestone >60mm and charcoal present; rare mm-scale orange patches (presumably oxidised herbaceous detritus and/or decayed wood)
1020 12.9 10008 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark slightly orange- and purple-brown, soft, crumbly (working slightly plastic) amorphous organic sediment with some pot, large and small mammal bone fragments, fish bone and eggshell and appreciable quantities of leather fragments
1025 12.9 10009 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark chocolate-brown, very soft, crumbly (working barely plastic) amorphous organic sediment (having very much the look of food debris) with some brick/tile, leather, wood (some mineral-replaced), nutshell, white 'efflorescence', small and large mammal bone fragments, marine mollusc shell, copper-corrosion products and fungal mycelium, the last presumably modern
1025 12.8 10010 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark brown (with a gingery-orange cast) very soft, crumbly amorphous organic sediment showing some efflorescence of white crystals on surfaces within tub; ?dog coprolite and abundant wood present
1026 12.6 10011 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up dark grey-brown, crumbly, somewhat crisp (working just plastic), slightly sandy clay silt in texture, with ?faecal concretions
1026 12.5 10012 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up as 10011 but slightly lighter and even more soft and crumbly; some pot present
1026 12.4 10013 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up dark grey (with orange/red cast), crumbly (working plastic) sandy clay silt with a well-rotted humic component; some burnt large and small mammal bone, and marine mollusc shell fragments; clear evidence of linear voids ('burrows') giving oxidation locally
1032 12.3 10014 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up a charcoal-rich deposit, very heterogeneous; matrix very dark grey, crisp (working almost plastic) sandy clay silt (texture) with pale orange reticulate mottling at mm-scale; large and small mammal bone fragments present; has the appearance of bonfire ash
1033 12.4 10015 ?surface deposit, perhaps dump rather than build-up mid-dark brown, just unconsolidated, crumbly (working just plastic), slightly sandy clay silt in texture; mottled darker and lighter at mm-scale and containing very dense ?concretions; one live earthworm!

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