Leicester, 9 St. Nicholas Place and Medieval Undercroft: Charred and Mineralised Plant Remains from Excavations in 1989 and 2003

During the excavation (A4.2003) by ULAS directed by Roger Kipling samples were taken from selected features of Roman, medieval and post-medieval date for the recovery of plant remains such as seeds and cereal grains which may provide evidence of diet, environment or activities in the past. The remains found here were mainly mineralised seeds from cesspits, together with some charred cereal grains, seeds and charred legumes. Other food remains included fish bones and scales. It was hoped that evidence from these remains would help to determine the type of occupation and activity on the site to compare with evidence from excavations of other sites in the town and suburbs of Leicester. The results were considered together with analysis of a larger group of samples from inside the undercroft (A38.1989) which contained abundant charred and mineralised plant remains (Boyer 1991). The cereals not analysed in 1991 were re-examined and re-tabulated for this report (Tables 5 and 6). [Taken from introduction]