Archaeologists Unearth 14th Century Remains During Excavation at Oxford College

Remains dating from medieval times were discovered during work on the kitchen and bar at Oriel College, Oxford.

A provision that dates back to medieval times

During renovation and reconstruction work on the kitchen and bar of Oriel College at the University of Oxford, founded in 1326, elements dating from the late Middle Ages (14th-15th centuries) were discovered. An archaeologically rich area according to Ben Ford, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology.

He told the BBC “this is an archaeologically rich area of ​​Oxford, once located in the south-east corner of the late Saxon city, before the city expanded towards the East “. Indeed, several traces of this historical period appear in this college.

A wall base and remains of an oven discovered

The excavations allowed archaeologists to discover the remains of a stone wall. The English media reports that the specialists' hypothesis is based on the fact that it was probably an old border of a boundary of land, formerly that of Oxford.

They also found the remains of an oven and rotisserie, which stood on the site of the current Oriel College kitchen. This discovery shows that the configuration of the medieval period corresponds, in particular of the kitchen, is the same as that of today. More generally, these finds make it possible to provide archaeologists with more details in the study of this place.

Oxford, an important place in medieval times

In the Middle Ages, the city of Oxford occupied an important place. Indeed, there is first the construction of numerous colleges. Most were built in the mid-13th century. These establishments made it possible to teach several subjects, which led to advances, in science and the arts in particular.

The town northwest of London was also a reference in terms of manuscripts. It was a city widely used for making ornate books and valuable manuscripts.

Source: BBC