Source/Archive record SCH8470 - Witter Place, Chester: Palaeoenvironmental Investigations

Following proposals for the redevelopment of land at Witter Place, Chester (NGR SJ 4125 6645), Earthworks Archaeological Services Ltd commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to advise on an environmental sampling strategy and to co-ordinate a programme of environmental assessment and analysis of material taken during excavations in 2002. The excavations revealed a multi-period site, dating from the Roman period to the present day; however, due to the scale of the site, OA North was asked to target features that were associated with the Civil War Ditch and the 16th to 19th century tanning industry. In addition, material from two Roman features was chosen for assessment. A comprehensive programme of environmental assessment and analysis was undertaken. This specific report includes information from the external specialists for the animal fibre analysis, the lipid analysis and the insect assessment, together with the in-house assessment of the charred and waterlogged plant remains and pollen. The assessment has shown that the charred plant remains and pollen preservation at the site are relatively poor; however, a number of the contexts, including those taken from a Roman pit and several medieval/post-medieval features contained very rich waterlogged plant remains. Although the waterlogged plant remains appeared to provide little corroborating evidence for the use of many of the latter features in the tanning industry, a number of them are likely to contain waste material from a range of different functions/activities, such as clearance waste or spent flooring/bedding. In addition, the preliminary evidence indicates a local environment of wet/damp and waste/rough ground, with possible scrub, during their in-filling. The insect remains recovered from the samples believed to be associated with the medieval tanning industry at the site do not currently corroborate this activity, which may suggest that the tanning pits were used for the disposal of domestic rubbish after they were abandoned. However, both the Civil War Ditch contexts and the various pits and gullies assessed from the site contained well preserved insect remains clearly related to settlement waste and human occupation, which, in addition, should provide information on the environment surrounding the features, together with the water conditions within the features themselves. Analysis of the animal fibres confirmed the presence of calf hair and otter pelts in three of the medieval/post-medieval features (contexts 155, 437 and 638), which suggests that the site was indeed a tannery, where the cattle hides would have been processed into leather. In addition, there may have been a skinner or furrier working on the site. Similarly, lipid analysis indicated the presence of large amounts of cholesterol in contexts, 461 and 823, which may be derived from the rendering of animal products, and therefore suggestive of tanning.