Menu

Search the PDAS site

Recent Excavations in Plymouth continued ...

 

The most significant building known from cartographic sources was the 17th century stone-built Sugar House which, as the name suggests, was involved in the processing of sugar refining using the raw materials imported into Plymouth primarily from the West Indies Very well preserved remains of this building, which perhaps continued in use into later centuries, have been uncovered together with considerable evidence for the refining process including specialised ceramics such as syrup jars and cones used in the manufacture of sugar.

Exotic imported pottery of the 17th century has also been recovered and the whole excavation is reminiscent of the Woolster Street excavation of the 1970s where quay-side buildings of the 13th to 17th century were revealed and where the finds included some very fine imported pottery of the medieval and post-medieval periods (see Cynthia Gaskell-Brown’s Medieval Waterfront Woolster Street 1986).

 

Another major excavation, also by Exeter Archaeology, has been undertaken at the former Crescent Car Showroom site on Notte Street in advance of office development. This excavation may prove to be one of the most significant in Plymouth for a number of years. Initial recognition by the Historic Environment Officer of some human bone uncovered during the demolition of the garage was  swiftly followed by a full scale excavation. This recovered some 160 burials in individual and  multiple graves and a considerable quantity of disarticulated bone. Cartographic evidence has shown the site to be that of a former Royal Naval hospital cemetery which was in use both before and following the construction of the Royal Naval Hospital at Stonehouse in 1758.

Several of the burials were amputees which had clearly died as a result of their wounds (evidenced by unhealed sawn bone) although one had survived with a well-healed stump. Two of the burials produced naval buttons, suggesting that jackets had been buried along with the body. Several of the graves were multiple and it is understood that this occurs when many casualties have been brought into the hospital within a short space of time – perhaps as a result of the wounded being returned to shore from a conflict. The .....

Sugar House under excavation by Exeter Archaeology

Burial of amputee

Excavation by Exeter Archaeology

grave is cut and receives the first burial, but if further deaths were expected the grave was left open. Up to three bodies have been found one above the other in more than one grave.

 

___________________

 

<< Return to PDAS NEWS

PDAS

News