EXCAVATIONS AT ST JAMES’S PRIORY, BRISTOL Bristol and Regional Archaeological Services Monograph EXCAVATIONS AT ST JAMES’S PRIORY, BRISTOL by Reg Jackson with contributions by Geraldine Barber, Rod Burchill, Rosie Clarke, Peter Hardie, Sophie Lamb, Louise Loe, Bruce Williams and David Williams Oxbow Books Published by Oxbow Books, Oxford, UK © Oxbow Books, Reg Jackson and the contributors 2006 ISBN 978-1-84217-207-0 A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library This book is published with the aid of a grant from English Heritage. English Heritage is now Historic England This book is available to download from http://books.casematepublishing.com/Excavations_at_St_James_Priory_Bristol.pdf Contents Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................... vii Résumé ............................................................................................................................................................................ viii Zusammenfassung............................................................................................................................................................ ix Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 Summary Contents of the Report............................................................................................................................... 1 The Background to the Archaeological Excavations ............................................................................................... 1 Summary Phasing of Sites 1 and 2 ............................................................................................................................ 3 General Historical Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 5 The Religious Houses to the North and West of the Medieval City .................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: St James’s Priory .......................................................................................................................... 8 Historical Background ................................................................................................................................................. 8 The Dissolution and After ......................................................................................................................................... 11 St James’s Priory: Its Church, Conventual Buildings and Cemeteries ............................................................... 16 Chapter 3: The St James’s Priory ‘East End’ Excavation Report (Site 1) .............................................. 28 Topography and Land Use........................................................................................................................................ 28 Previous Archaeological Work.................................................................................................................................. 28 Excavation Methods and Recording ........................................................................................................................ 29 Report on the 1989 and 1995 Excavations .............................................................................................................. 30 Chapter 4: The St James’s Priory ‘West Front’ Excavation Report (Site 2) .......................................... 57 Topography and Land Use........................................................................................................................................ 57 Previous Archaeological Work.................................................................................................................................. 57 Excavation Methods and Recording ........................................................................................................................ 57 Report on the Excavations ......................................................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 5: The Burials .................................................................................................................................. 71 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 71 The Archaeology of the Monastic Cemetery (Site 1)............................................................................................. 72 The Archaeology of the Lay/Parish Burial Ground (Sites 2 and 3) ................................................................... 99 Site 2: Adjacent to the West Front of the Church................................................................................................... 99 Site 3: St James’s Place ............................................................................................................................................. 103 Burials from Sites 2 and 3: Discussion .................................................................................................................. 104 Analysis of the Human Bone from Sites 1 and 2 by Dr Louise Loe .................................................................... 105 Analysis of the Human Bone from Site 3 by Sophie Lamb................................................................................... 120 vi EXCAVATIONS AT SCTONTENTS JAMES’S PRIORY, BRISTOL Chapter 6: The Finds ................................................................................................................................... 123 The Pre-Conquest Pottery (Site 2) by Rod Burchill ............................................................................................... 123 The Medieval Pottery by Rod Burchill .................................................................................................................... 123 The Medieval Floor Tiles (Sites 1 and 2 and Church House) by Bruce Williams ............................................. 124 A Note on the Petrology of Two Medieval Floor Tiles and Three Roof Tiles by Dr David Williams............ 130 The Ceramic Roof Tiles (Site 1) by Rod Burchill.................................................................................................... 132 The Clay Tobacco Pipes (Site 1) by Reg Jackson .................................................................................................... 133 The Coins and Tokens (Site 1) by Rosie Clarke ...................................................................................................... 133 Objects of Bone and Ivory (Site 1) by Rod Burchill ............................................................................................... 135 Objects of Glass (Site 1) by Rod Burchill ................................................................................................................. 137 Objects of Iron (Site 1) by Rod Burchill ................................................................................................................... 138 Objects of Copper Alloy (Site 1) by Rod Burchill .................................................................................................. 139 Objects of Lead/Lead Alloy (Site 1) by Rod Burchill ........................................................................................... 141 Objects of Stone and Fired Clay (Site 1) by Rod Burchill ..................................................................................... 142 The Post-Medieval Pit Groups (Site 1) .................................................................................................................. 142 The Finds from Pit 1213 ........................................................................................................................................... 143 The Finds from Pit 192 ............................................................................................................................................. 151 The Finds from Pit 259 ............................................................................................................................................. 153 The Finds from Pit 753 ............................................................................................................................................. 161 The Finds from Pit 1223 ........................................................................................................................................... 169 The Finds from Pit 586 ............................................................................................................................................. 172 The Faunal Remains (Site 1) by Geraldine Barber .................................................................................................. 182 Chapter 7: Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 192 Bibliography and References ....................................................................................................................