The excavations in the centre of Birmingham uncovered evidence of habitation from prehistoric and Roman times, but the 12th to 19th centuries presented by far the most evidence, from artefacts, environmental samples and structural remains. The medieval industrial past was of particular interest, with tanning and the manufacture of hemp and linen all playing a large role in the city's prosperity. Metal working reached its peak in the seventeenth century, with brass founding becoming important from the eighteenth century onwards. Most of the artefactual evidence attests to Birmingham's industrial past, indeed the evidence for domestic life is comparatively scant, with an anomalous burial of two people at Park Street presenting something of a mystery. This volume presents insights into the early industrial past of this important city and is an invaluable record covering eight hundred years of occupation.

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Summary
• Foreword - The Birmingham Alliance
• Foreword: The Bull Ring Uncovered - The Leader of Birmingham City Council
• Acknowledgements
• The Bull Ring Excavations and Archaeology in Birmingham City Centre: an Overview - Michael Hodder
  • The process
  • Management of the archaeological resource
  • The achievement
• 1. Introduction - Catharine Patrick
  • Geology and topography
  • Background to the excavations
  • Historical background
  • Previous archaeological work
    • Archaeological investigations associated with the Bull Ring redevelopment
  • Excavation and research aims
  • Excavation method
  • Phasing
• 2. Land to the South of Edgbaston Street: Investigations 1997-1999 - Catharine Patrick and Stephanie Rátkai
  • Background to the excavations
  • Historical profile - Steve Litherland and Catharine Patrick
  • Excavation results
    • Phase 1: 12th-14th centuries
    • Phase 2: 15th-16th centuries
    • Phase 3: 17th-18th centuries
    • Phase 4: 19th century
    • Phase 5: 20th century
  • Discussion
• 3. Moor Street - Bob Burrows, Catharine Patrick and Eleanor Ramsey
  • Background to the excavations
  • Historical profile - Steve Litherland and Catharine Patrick
  • Excavation results
    • Phase 1: 12th-14th centuries
    • Phase 2: 15th-16th centuries
    • Phase 3: 17th-early 18th centuries
    • Phase 4: 19th century
    • Phase 5: 20th century
  • Discussion
• 4. Park Street - Bob Burrows, Simon Buteux, Helen Martin and Stephanie Rátkai
  • Background to the excavations
  • Historical profile - Steve Litherland and Stephanie Rátkai
  • Excavation method
  • Results
    • Roman
    • Phase 1: 12th-14th century
    • Phase 2: 15th and 16th centuries
    • Phase 3: Late 16th- early 19th centuries
    • Sub-phasing
    • Phase 3.1: Late 16th-early 18th centuries
    • Phase 3.2: Early to mid-18th century
    • Phase 3.3: Later 18th century/ early 19th century
    • Other features
    • 'Dark earth' and buildings
    • Cartographic and documentary evidence for the Phase 3-5 structures - Stephanie Rátkai
    • Phase 3/4 Features
  • Discussion
    • Medieval Park Street
    • Tudor and Stuart Park Street
    • Park Street in the 17th and 18th centuries
    • 19th- and 20th-century Park Street
• 5. The Row Watching Brief - Chris Patrick
  • Historical background of the Manorial Moat
  • Results
• 6. Prehistoric Worked Flint - Lynne Bevan
  • Catalogue
• 7. The Pottery - Stephanie Rátkai
  • Introduction
  • The pottery fabrics
    • Deritend ware, Reduced Deritend ware and Deritend cooking pots
    • Coventry-type cooking pots; Coventry and Coventry-type glazed wares
    • Boarstall-Brill ware
    • Worcester-type glazed ware
    • Chilvers Coton C fabric
    • Glazed wares or unglazed jug fabrics
    • Light-bodied (iron-poor) wares
    • Reduced wares
    • Iron-rich cooking pot fabrics
    • Late wheel-thrown iron-rich oxidised wares
    • Other late medieval/ early post-medieval wares
    • Coarsewares
    • Tin-glazed earthenwares
    • Slipwares
    • Mottled ware
    • Slip-coated wares
    • White salt-glazed stoneware, creamware, pearlware and other refined body earthenwares.
    • Imported continental pottery
  • Phase 1
    • Edgbaston Street
    • Discussion
    • Moor Street
    • Park Street
  • Phase 2
    • Edgbaston Street
    • Moor Street
    • Park Street
  • Phase 3
    • Edgbaston Street
    • Moor Street
    • Park Street
    • The Park St tanks (F503/ F520 and F510/ F542) - David Barker and Stephanie Rátkai
    • Park St; Functional analysis of the Phase 3 pottery
    • Park St; pottery from the 'dark earth layer'
  • General discussion
  • Illustration catalogue
• 8. The Medieval and Post-Medieval Small Finds - Lynne Bevan, Quita Mould and Stephanie Rátkai
  • Overview by Stephanie Rátkai and Lynne Bevan
    • Introduction
    • Range of medieval and post-medieval artefacts
    • Evidence for craft activity
  • The small finds
    • Wooden objects
    • Copper alloy objects
    • Iron objects
    • Lead and lead alloy objects
    • Glass
    • Worked shell
    • Worked bone, ivory and horn
    • Worked stone - Lynne Bevan and Rob Ixer
    • The swivel seal - Stephanie Rátkai
    • Leather - Erica Macey-Bracken and Quita Mould
    • Ceramic tile - Erica Macey-Bracken, with petrology by Rob Ixer
• 9. The Clay Tobacco Pipes - David A. Higgins
  • Introduction
  • Methodology
  • The pipes, by site
    • Edgbaston Street
    • Moor Street
    • Park Street
  • The pipes themselves
    • Internal bowl marks
    • Decorated pipes
    • Reused pipes
  • The marked pipes
  • Stamped marks
    • Stamped heel or spur marks
  • Stamped bowl marks
    • Stamped stem marks
    • Moulded marks
  • Discussion of the marked pipes
    • The marks by origin
    • The marks by period
  • Catalogue
• 10. Metal-Working Debris from Park Street - Matthew Nicholas
  • Historical background
  • Research aims and objectives
  • Visual assessment
  • Explanation of slag classification
  • Spatial analysis
  • Examination of crucibles
    • Form
    • Fabric
    • Selection of crucibles for analysis
    • Sample preparation and method of analysis
  • Discussion of crucible analyis
    • Vitrified layers and fabric
    • Metallic droplets
  • Conclusion
• 11. Human Bone Report - Rachel Ives
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
    • Age and sex.
    • Dental health
    • Pathology
    • Disarticulated bone
  • Summary
• 12. The Plant Macroremains - Evidence of Domestic and Industrial Activities at Edgbaston Street, Moor Street, Park Street and The Row - Marina Ciaraldi
  • Introduction
  • Sampling strategy and methodology
  • Edgbaston Street
    • The watercourse vegetation
    • The tanning pits
    • Organic deposits in Area D
  • Moor Street
  • Park Street
    • Phase 1: Medieval period (12th to 14th centuries)
    • Phase 2: Early post-medieval period (15th-16th centuries)
    • Phase 3: Post-medieval (late 16th-18th centuries)
    • The Row
  • Discussion
• 13. The Pollen - James Greig
  • Summary
  • Laboratory work, pollen analysis
  • Edgbaston Street
    • The watercourse
    • Area D organic deposit
    • Area A, medieval pit F123 (1012) Phase 1
  • Moor Street
  • Park Street
    • Phase 1 boundary ditch F174/ F201
    • Phase 3 pit F803 (1835)
    • Phase 3 wood-lined tank F503/ F520
  • General discussion of the evolution of the landscape and cityscape of Birmingham
• 14. The Insect Remains from Edgbaston Street and Park Street - David Smith
  • Introduction
    • Sample selection
    • Sample processing and analysis
  • The insect faunas recovered
    • The insect remains from Edgbaston Street
    • The insect remains from Park Street
  • Discussion
    • Comparison to other sites
• 15. The Mammal, Amphibian and Bird Bones - Ian L. Baxter
  • Introduction
    • Methods
  • Frequency of species
    • Cattle
    • Sheep
    • Other domestic mammals
    • Wild mammals
    • Birds
    • Amphibians
  • Summary and conclusion
• 16. Discussion - Michael Hodder, Catharine Patrick and Stephanie Rátkai
  • Landscape and origins
  • Town development and resources
  • Industries and crafts
  • Social and economic
  • The hinterland
  • Conclusions
• Appendix 7.1 A Note on Petrology of Medieval Pottery from the Bull Ring, Birmingham - David Williams
• Appendix 9.1 Clay Pipes, Recording System - David Higgins
• Appendix 9.2 Clay Pipes, Context Summary - David Higgins
• Appendix 9.3 Clay Pipes, Summary of Marked Pipes - David Higgins
• Appendix 10.1 Catalogue of Slag - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.2 Catalogue of Hammerscale - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.3 Catalogue of Crucibles - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.4 Analyses of Metal Droplets found within the Park Street Crucibles - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.5 Analyses of the Vitrified Layers - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.6 Analyses of the Crucible Fabric - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 10.7 Crucible No. 92, line trace data - Matthew Nicholas
• Appendix 11.1 Catalogue of Human Burials, Park Street, Birmingham - Rachel Ives
• Appendix 15.1 Animal Bones; mandibular wear stages for the main species - Ian L. Baxter
• Appendix 15.2 Measurements of Animal Bones and Teeth - Ian L. Baxter
• Appendix 15.3 Discriminant Function Analysis of Cattle Horncones - Ian L. Baxter
• Bibliography
• Index
• Colour plates