The archaeological report was published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 20 February 2021.
It all began with a road. The origins of Oxford can be traced back as far as the late 7th century AD, when a river crossing presumed to have carried a north–south routeway (later known as St Aldates) was built across the channels of the River Thames. St Frideswide’s minster is believed to have been founded close by in the early 8th century, and by the early 10th century Oxnaforda had flourished into a burh, one of several defended, planned towns established in England in the late Anglo-Saxon period. This settlement was laid out around two principal roads, one (Cornmarket/St Aldates) orientated north–south, the other (Queen Street/High Street) east–west. Their axis, a crossroads later known as Carfax, would become the heart of the burgeoning medieval urban centre – and in 2016 Oxford Archaeology (OA) had the opportunity to bring this area’s past to light once more.
Planned redevelopment on the corner of Queen Street and St Aldates, on the south-west side of Carfax, offered a rare chance to explore this part of Oxford’s city centre. It was an exciting prospect, as this was an area with a rich and interesting history. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the north end of St Aldates was home to Oxford’s Jewish quarter, following William the Conqueror’s invitation to Jews from France to settle in England and establish a network of credit and trading posts. This hospitality was not to last, though, and the Jewry came to an end in 1290, if not before, when the Jews were expelled from England by Edward I. By the 14th century, all Jewish properties were in Christian ownership, and the area’s use had transformed dramatically: a plethora of medieval drinking establishments sprang up along Queen Street and St Aldates, and some of these establishments survived in one form or another until the modern day.
Novel words