19/10/2011

Issued by York Archaeological Trust. 

Archaeologists working on one of the country's largest excavations will welcome the public to the site for the final time this weekend.

York Archaeological Trust's Hungate excavation is the largest developer-funded project to take place in York, and the city's biggest urban excavation for over a quarter of a century. 

The five-year-long excavation, which has uncovered 2000 years of York's history, comes to an end in December.  Over the course of the dig, which is funded by Hungate (York) Regeneration Ltd, York Archaeological Trust has welcomed more than 23,000 visitors to the site and uncovered a variety of unique artefacts.

Rare Roman Jet jewellery, an exquisitely carved 14^th Century stone corbel, 1000-year-old ice skates made from bone, the remains of seven Viking Age cellar buildings and a tiny Middle Eastern glass bead traded across thousands of miles at the end of the 1^st millennium AD are just some of the finds unearthed by the Hungate project team and community archaeologists over the last five years.

The excavation has also revealed that the 2500sqm site has, in its time, been used as a Roman cemetery, as part of the Viking settlement of Jorvik, as the medieval city dump, a Post-Medieval market garden and a tight knit working class community.

This weekend, visitors have a final opportunity to meet the archaeologists, who will be on hand to talk through some of the remarkable finds. 

Says Peter Connelly, Project Director for Hungate Excavations at York Archaeological Trust, "This excavation has been an incredibly interesting and varied project uncovering all sorts of aspects of York's remarkable heritage. The tremendous team we have had on site over the five years have met every challenge of picking apart and understanding the intricate details of the last 2000 years of the Hungate area and have gone on to share this knowledge with everyone. The project has also had a strong community element and people from across all of York have contributed to the success of the dig. 

"Over the last five years we have welcomed over 1,800 people - as young as 10 and up to 70 years old - to help excavate the site. Those people have been instrumental in helping us uncover and record a slice of history." 

Throughout the excavation, the Hungate site has been open for public tours and a series of events that have enabled people to meet the archaeologists, get 'hands on' with some of the finds, explore exhibitions, take part in workshops, activities and events and learn more about York's unique heritage.

The final Hungate open day takes place on Saturday 22 October from 10am until 3pm.  For more information, go online to www.dighungate.com.

- ENDS -

For more information please contact Karen Nixon or Hannah Trinder at Partners PR on karen@partners-group.co.uk / hannah@partners-group.co.uk or on 01904 610077. 

Editor's notes:

The archaeological investigation is funded by Hungate (York) Regeneration Ltd - a joint venture between Lend Lease, Evans Property Group and Land Securities, as part of the work being carried out to create the new Hungate urban neighbourhood.

For further details about the properties in Hungate including townhouses from £450,000 and duplex apartments from £265,000 contact the Sales and Marketing suite on 01904 676797 or visit www.hungateyork.co.uk

York Archaeological Trust is an independent charity, founded in 1972, which investigates the past for the benefit of present communities and future generations.  Linking professional skills and archaeological expertise with broad-based background knowledge and experience; it carries out carefully targeted and cost effective archaeological recording, excavation and research for a broad range of clients and partners.  The results are made available in a number if innovative and dynamic ways including attractions, websites, education days, publications and articles.