E35

Excavation was carried out by Aberdeen City Council Archaeological Unit in early 1992 ahead of works to create a beer cellar for a new public house in an area between Netherkirkgate and Guestrow (affectionately known as Potty Donald's). The excavation found a continuation of building on the site from the 13th to the 19th century. On the frontage, early post- medieval stone foundations were replaced in the 19th century by tenements. In the backlands of the site, at least three wooden medieval buildings had stood: the remains of these were in the form of hundreds of post- and stake- holes. Other post and stake holes were open to interpretation as fences or boundaries. There were also a number of medieval and post-medieval pits filled with pottery, wood, leather and textiles as well as an extensive waterlogged midden deposit. Interestingly, large medieval pits lay adjacent and underneath the present street frontage of Guestrow. Many of these features were cut into a widespread and uniform clay and stone layer containing several hundred Mesolithic flints. The finds from this site are in the collections of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums.