ARTEFACTS dating back more than 800 years have been found at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Items discovered during excavation work in Edinburgh this year include a 12th-century jug fragment, a horse skeleton and a medieval shoe.
The diets of ambassadors and courtiers at Abbey Strand – during the reigns of Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI – were also revealed by the mass of oyster shells and wine bottles dug up.
Researchers also say wine and spirit containers, food debris and fragments of children’s games give a glimpse of life for the 25 impoverished families living in cramped tenements in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Gordon Ewart of Kirkdale Archaeology, which carried out the work, said: “The survey has provided a unique opportunity to understand more about the fascinating development of the Abbey Strand and its surroundings – and to explore how the site has been the historic and symbolic bridge between the palace and the city of Edinburgh for centuries.”
More than 40 trenches were dug for an archaeological survey as part of the £10 million works to improve the visitor experience at the palace. Excavations in the Abbey Strand buildings by the Edinburgh-based firm uncovered the earliest evidence of settlement on the site.
Timber posts dating from the 12th century are believed to mark the location of a terrace that led to the then low-lying island on which Holyrood Abbey was built in 1128. One of the earliest finds is a medieval leather shoe from beneath one of the cellars in the Abbey Strand.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel