York Historic Environment Record

On 25th July and August 1st 2014 York Archaeological Trust undertook a watching brief at Trentholme Drive, York close to its junction with Mount Vale. The objective was to record any deposits, features or buried structures exposed during the excavation of a service trench. During the excavation of this trench a quantity of disarticulated human bone was recovered. This was gathered up and reburied in the trench prior to backfilling. Examination of the section suggested that intact human remains lay immediately beyond the trench, possibly indicating that the human remains had been disturbed during previous undocumented work in this area. During the recording of the section it also became apparent that the remains could be phased. The earliest phase seemed to be one of inhumations, Cut Numbers 1016 and 1014. Phase 2 was apparently one of cremations, Cut Numbers 1011 and 1019 and the latest phase another one of cremations, Cut Numbers 1003, 1005. Although generally inhumations are later than cremations, mixed cemeteries are not uncommon and have been encountered in this area of York in the past. Clearly any future work in this area should be closely monitored since it appears that human remains, probably intact, are still to be located close by.