Charred Plant Remains from Excavations on the Site of Nottingham General Hospital 1994-8 (NCM 1994-764)

Sampling was carried out during the excavation near Nottingham Castle to recover charred plant remains such as seeds and cereal grains which can provide evidence of the crop plants used and the diet of the people living on the site in the past. The features sampled were mainly of medieval date but included some of Prehistoric and post medieval date. Bone and other finds were also recovered from the samples. A sample with abundant cereal remains including chaff was found which allowed more detailed identification of the cereals because chaff is more diagnostic than the grains. Bread wheat and rivet wheat were both identified together with other cereals. This sample was from a large deposit of charred material in a ditch dated to the 12th- 13th century from pottery in the fill of the ditch. [Taken from introduction]