Sue Cook presents the series that examines listeners' historical queries, exploring avenues of research and uncovering mysteries.
Hull Friary and Baltic timberÌý
Listener's query
"In fairly recent excavations at the site of the medieval Augustinian Friary in Hull (of course an important port then as now), several high-status burials were discovered. The coffins were well preserved because of the wet conditions and were made of timber from the Baltic area. Was late medieval England so lacking in timber that it had to import it from so far away?"
Brief summary
The Hull Friary excavation of 1994 was one of the largest excavations ever to take place on a city monastic site. It lasted for seven months when the team, led by David Evans of the Humber Archaeological Partnership, worked at uncovering the remains of the city's Augustinian Friary. The Hull Friary was one of only 40 such houses to be built in England and Wales during the Middle Ages. It was the very last Augustinian Friary to hand itself over to the Crown at the Dissolution in March 1539.
New Magistrates' Courts were to be built in Hull and the archaeologist had to work quickly before the building went up. The original plans were scrapped, larger buildings were planned and there was a second excavation in 1999 to look at more of the cleared site.
The UK was able to supply most of its own timber until the end of the Second World War but certain timbers suit particular needs. The best timber for coffins is fast-growing oak – oak that grows straight up as it struggles for the light. It is lighter, straighter, without knots and easier to split into planks. Fast-growing oak occurs really only in primary forests, for example in the countries around the Baltic. England had plenty of oak, but the Romans had had a go at it and the Normans had thinned it for hunting forests. English oak was slow-growing - there was no need for it to fight for the light. Most of the high-status burial coffins use fast-growing oak which has shown to be suitable too for ships' masts and church roofs.
Experts consulted
Dave Evans of Humber Archaeology Partnership
Chris Ketchell of the Local History Unit at Hull College
Further reading
Edward Gillett, A History of Hull (OUP/University of Hull publications, 1980)
Website
Further information
Humber Archaeology Partnership
Dave Evans, The Old School, Northumberland Avenue, Hull HU2 0LN
Email: archaeology@hullcc.gov.uk
Website:
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ´óÏó´«Ã½, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý
Contact Making History
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Making History
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Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ´óÏó´«Ã½, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý