York Guildhall: Human remains found on building site

Construction work in York has revealed bones from six bodies

Human remains have been found on a city centre building site by construction workers.

The bones, thought to be from six bodies, were uncovered at the Guildhall site in York next to the River Ouse.

Councillor Nigel Ayre said the remains could be a burial plot linked to a friary which was on the site in the 14th or 15th Century.

The discovery was made in the last few weeks and the remains have now been sent for further analysis.

Roman pottery, a hairpin and tiles used to create mosaics, as well as medieval coins, have also been found, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Guildhall was first built in the 15th Century and still plays host to council meetings

Tom Coates, project supervisor for the York Archaeological Trust, said: "We were seeing human remains in the form of a graveyard, along possible lines of a friary wall.

"It was six bodies that we uncovered. They are not as neat as you would expect them to be, they've been heavily disturbed.

"York has been subject to extensive levelling over time and it's one of the few cities in the country where you get evidence of material that spans over the past 2,000 years."

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The £20m project which started in September is due to provide office space, community use and a new riverside restaurant.

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