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30-46 Upperkirkgate
E29
E29
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30-46 Upperkirkgate

E29
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DescriptionExcavation was carried out by Aberdeen City Council Archaeological Unit in 1986. A total area of 1500 square metres was examined by encompassing a large backland site up to 10m from the Upperkirkgate frontage, which was itself inaccessible because of the presence of the standing buildings. Much of the late medieval/early post- medieval deposits had been scarped during the 19th-century development but sufficient remained to allow some archaeological interpretation of the area to be made. A clay foundation aligned north to south probably represented the remains of a 13th to 14th-century boundary. No other early boundaries were recorded but most were probably on the lines of modern property divisions and have long since disappeared. The basal portions of a number of wooden posts were discovered, which may have represented the remnants of a medieval building near the frontage, but all other evidence of it had been obliterated. A number of medieval pits, of which three were very straight- sided and rectangular in shape, may have been storage pits. A 13th to 14th-century pit had been lined with thin strips of timber. Medieval finds included a bone-handled knife, two pieces of carved wood (from a casket or chair) and a copper- alloy enamelled brooch as well as a large assemblage of medieval pottery including some very early Scottish wares from the area immediately behind the Upperkirkgate frontage.
Location InfoNational Grid Reference: NJ 9410 0645
Easting: 394101.326563797, Northing: 806457.79968003
Postcode: AB10 1BA

Site located N of 20-36 Upperkirkgate and to the W of Drum's Lane. (Stones and Cameron 2001)
NotesCameron, A. (1990a) '46 Upperkirkgate, trial pits', Discovery Excav Scot, 1990. Page(s): 17 Stones, J A. (1987b) 'Aberdeen burgh & parish, 30-46 Upperkirkgate, medieval, post-medieval occupation', Discovery Excav Scot, 1987. Page(s): 16-17 See Cameron, A. and Stones, J. (ed.) (2001). Aberdeen: An In-Depth View of the City's Past. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Monograph Series No. 19. 60-72, for a detailed account of the excavation. See also Dennison, E. and Stones, J. (1997). Historic Aberdeen. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland. 40-45, for more context. Reference Numbers
  • NJ90NW1016
  • NJ90NW219
  • 20129