Archaeologists discover hidden secret behind one of the UK's prettiest cities
An area near Oriel College in Oxford was excavated during the refurbishment of a bar and kitchen.
Archaeologists have discovered a hidden secret underneath one of the UK's prettiest cities.
An area near Oriel College in Oxford was excavated by experts during the refurbishment of its bar and kitchen.
Oxford Archaeology found the remains of a ditch which confirmed that in 900AD, the city was much smaller than it is now. Senior project manager Ben Ford, called the discovery "extremely exciting".
Previous excavations in 1899 near the city’s Bodleian Library revealed a section of the old walls, thought to be the original northeastern section of the city.
The work at Oriel College found what is believed to be the original eastern line of defences around the former town, once part of a defensive network against the Vikings in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex.
Oxford Archaeology said that the discovery gives the theory that Oxford was once much smaller more “credibility”. They also said the smaller city had a "square perimeter built by the Anglo-Saxons according to the model of walled Roman towns such as Winchester".
Fragments of charred plants in the ditch have been dated back to between 880 and 950AD, around the time Oxford was founded.
Mr Ford added: "Using specialist equipment to extract cores of earth from deep below the existing ground level we have identified the profile of a large infilled ditch which is over 3m (9.8 ft) deep and about 20m (66ft) wide running north to south.
"There is no sign of these defences now because over time the ditch had filled up with deposits and then been built over. We hope that further study will obtain a more accurate date and solve this fundamental question about the origins of our modern city.”
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Oxford City Council archaeologist David Radford said: "This really is a significant breakthrough that helps us get to the next level in terms of understanding Oxford’s emergence and evolution on the boundary between the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia in the context of the Viking threat from the north in the 9th and 10th centuries."
Colin Bailey, Oriel College’s master of works, said the refurb at the site had "provided a rare opportunity to excavate an area that has never been excavated before".
He added: "It is fantastic to see this resolve a century-old debate. The city of Oxford has such an intriguing history.
"I find it extraordinary that, despite nearly 700 years of continuous existence at the same site, Oriel College continues to surprise us with new discoveries about the ground on which it is built."
