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At Hungate we hope to learn more about how the Romans
used this extra-mural area and investigate the part
played by the river in the Roman economy. Low-lying
land along the River Foss may have served as a beaching
place for small boats and barges, while natural inlets
may have been developed to provide more substantial
docks and moorings. Evidence for timber revetments
and other riverside structures, as well as artefacts,
may be encountered which will help to shed some light
on Roman life along the river.
By looking at changes in plant and insect species
from successive soil deposits, we will be able to
see the impact which a growing human population had
on the natural environment; changes in fish species
recovered from occupation deposits might indicate
pollution levels in the river.
Earlier investigation on the riverbank glimpsed possible
roads and structures but we have a lot to learn about
land use here. We do know there was a Roman cemetery
but we do not know its scale and extent - or the date
of the burials. Roman burials are frequently found
along the main roads into York, and the prospect of
excavating and analysing what may turn out to be a
large Roman cemetery at Hungate is most exciting.
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