Jeffrey Street - an 18th century cellar

Excavations in advance of development at a site off Edinburgh’s High St revealed a series of cellars backfilled in the post-medieval period.  The finds from these cellars provide a cross-section of the material culture of this central part of the town in the early 18th century.  Finds include wine bottles, imported vessel glass, clay pipes, colourful tin-glazed dishes, storage jars and wall tiles.  The most unusual of the finds were two maiolica floor tiles.  These join only three others known from Scotland.  Preliminary analysis suggests they were made in Antwerp in the 1530s.  A programme of scientific analysis is being undertaken on the ceramics to ascertain their origin.