We’re delighted to see PCA’s work at the Tower of London featured in National Geographic! It’s always exciting when the stories we help uncover reach such a wide audience.
This #FindsFriday, we’re sharing one of the most tantalising discoveries from the site, a pair of medieval funerary incense pots (c.1150–1250). As Alfred Hawkins, Curator, says in the article, “Grave goods in Medieval England aren’t really a thing,”
Only two such “gravpottes” have been found in the UK, suggesting the individual may have come from Northern France or Denmark, where they were more common. If the charcoal fragments are large enough, it might even be possible to reconstruct the incense.
For #FindsFriday, a decorated comb from an Early to Middle Anglo-Saxon settlement in Worcestershire, though it may not be local.
The comb’s trapezoidal connecting plates, along with its elaborate decoration (sawn-out openwork X designs and undulating chains of overlapping ring-and-dot) match Mairéad Dunlevy’s class C2 Irish combs, dated to the 7th–early 8th centuries.
Irish combs do turn up on Anglo-Saxon sites, but until now only class D combs, dating from the later 7th–early 9th centuries, have been found. Excitingly, this would be the first class C comb recorded in England.
Photography has been central to the archaeological record since the earliest excavations, from fragile glass plate negatives to today’s vast digital archives. Each image helps preserve context, capture discoveries, and record the evolution of sites over time.
Drones have taken this further, revealing entire landscapes, showing scale at a glance, and offering perspectives once impossible.
This footage comes from a recent excavation in the Cotswolds (Bronze-Age to Anglo-Saxon activity). The client is Centaur Land, and thanks to SUMO GeoSurveys for the film.
And stay tuned, two red kites make a spectacular appearance at the end!
PCA archaeologists from the Newark office have been busy over the last few weeks at Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire, and the work has been turning up some unexpected finds.
Adjacent to the Gatehouse, a substantial section of walling was revealed during monitoring. Early thoughts were that this was a possible outer gatehouse; however, after visits from a Castle expert and consulting various mapping, it is now thought this wall may be part of the fortifications by the bridge that crossed the River Trent during the Civil War.
Elsewhere, during excavations for an attenuation tank, an unexpected retaining wall was exposed. After assessing the stone thickness and style, it is thought that this wall is part of the earliest phase of the stone Castle (the magnificent stone structure that currently stands was probably preceded by an earth and timber castle). This discovery has reshaped our understanding of how the Castle may have looked; the ditch seems to have only partially encircled the Castle.
During investigations to ascertain the route of the wall, the team made a rather exciting discovery. At the bottom of the outflow of the garderobes, a large capped cesspit was revealed. A large, worn millstone was used to cap the cesspit at some point during the medieval period, to make way for a garden.
From Civil War bridges to medieval garderobes, Newark Castle still has stories to tell.
In archaeology, individual finds are valuable, but it’s often the bigger picture that tells the real story. Assemblages, or groups of objects found together, can reveal patterns of behaviour, trade, and chronology in ways that isolated finds simply can’t. Too often, limited sampling or tight excavation windows mean specialists don’t get the volume of material needed for meaningful analysis. But when we do have the chance to excavate large assemblages, especially of pottery, the payoff can be huge.
Large ceramic assemblages are crucial for refining chronological frameworks in British archaeology. Pottery styles evolve rapidly and vary regionally, making them sensitive indicators of time and cultural change. Analysing form, fabric, and decoration across stratified contexts allows us to build precise dating sequences and trace shifts in occupation, identity, and social practice.
This approach is central to regional research agendas, like those set out in the East of England and South West Archaeological Research Frameworks, which emphasise the importance of ceramic studies in understanding settlement patterns, trade networks, and social transformations. Large assemblages also allow for statistical analysis and comparison across sites, strengthening regional chronologies and contributing to broader narratives of historical development.
Our long-running excavations in Milton Keynes offer compelling evidence for the value of an assemblage-based approach. Prehistoric pottery specialist Lawrence (pictured here with finds supervisor Emily and project officer Jenn) is now nearing the end of an epic cataloguing effort from an unusual site spanning 12 hectares. This site was established in the mid-1st century BC and spans the late Iron Age with all activity ceasing by around AD70. With over 72,000 pottery sherds, weighing approximately 1.1 metric tonnes, this is starting to look like a very significant assemblage with a fascinating story to tell – watch this space!
Today, August 1st, is the Feast of Saint Peter ad Vincula, the saint to whom the Tower of London’s chapel is dedicated, and the timing couldn’t be more fitting.
During our recent excavation, in collaboration with the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, PCA uncovered the footings of Henry I’s 12th-century chapel, along with a contemporary stone drain. These remains haven’t been seen since the building was demolished under Henry III, more than 750 years ago.
There’s a strong possibility that this early chapel was inaugurated on the feast day itself, establishing its place in the Tower’s early sacred history.
We had a great time at the Essex Festival of Archaeology last week! Thanks to Place Services for putting together such a well-organised and welcoming event.
It was great to be part of something that clearly struck a chord with so many people. Over 1,100 visitors came through the doors, the talks were fully booked (with waiting lists!), and there was a real buzz around the stands all day.
The feedback was lovely, people appreciated the range of exhibitors, the quality of the displays, and the enthusiasm from everyone involved. We’re proud to have been part of it, and we’re already looking forward to the next one.
Want to see more from the Tower of London excavation?
Historic Royal Palaces have shared a fascinating two-part blog by Curator Alfred Hawkins, offering more detail on the discoveries made outside the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, including insights from the 2019 trial work and the recent excavation.
Pre-Construct Archaeology has been working with the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces on the most significant excavation at the Tower of London in a generation. The project, focused around the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, has uncovered the remains of up to 50 individuals, far more than initially anticipated, along with rare grave goods, structural evidence of earlier chapels, and previously unknown Tudor features.
The investigation, carried out with consent from Historic England and overseen by Historic Royal Palaces ahead of lift installation works, has gone deeper than any previous excavation at the Tower since the 1970s, reaching 12th-century layers more than two metres below the surface.
The work focused on the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, part of the Tower for centuries, yet what lay beneath remained a mystery. This site before excavation, with Tower Bridge in the background. The work here was part of essential access improvements to the Tower.
.
One of the most significant outcomes of the project is the emerging picture of continuity: it now seems likely that the chapel has occupied the same footprint, with relatively minor variation, for over 800 years. The remains of what appears to be Henry I’s 12th-century chapel have been uncovered, along with fabric associated with later construction works carried out under Henry III in 1240. A distinctive layer of ash appears to match historical accounts of the fire of 1512 that destroyed the chapel built by Edward I. Above this, we have recorded the foundations of the existing Tudor chapel, constructed in 1519–20 during the reign of Henry VIII.
Earlier phases of walling beneath the current western wall of the Tudor chapel, captured during excavation. These remains help trace the evolving footprint of the chapel over centuries.
..
A particularly striking find was the burial of a child in a coffin, probably dating to the time of Edward I’s chapel, which had been cut through the earlier remains of Henry I’s building. Elsewhere, the team identified Tudor walls from a previously unknown structure adjacent to the chapel. These may have been part of an early phase of the current chapel or a related building later demolished. Later use of the area is also evident, including the presence of coal storage.
.
Alongside architectural remains, the excavation has revealed a diverse assemblage of burials. Some individuals appear to have been interred hurriedly, with minimal care, during the 14th century, possibly as a result of the Black Death. These earlier graves pre-date the formalised plague burial practices introduced later in Edward III’s reign. Others were treated with considerable care. One burial included two ceramic vessels, 12th–13th century pots filled with charcoal, a rare grave custom more typical of continental Europe and previously recorded only once before in England. A small fragment of shroud fabric, also recovered, represents a highly unusual survival given the preservation conditions.
Scientific analysis of the human remains, including isotope and DNA analysis, will be carried out as part of a wider research project led by Historic Royal Palaces in partnership with Cardiff University. This work is expected to reveal detailed insights into the health, diet, origins and mobility of those buried here, including a high-status Tudor woman and a young boy discovered in 2019, both of whom were buried in coffins close to the chapel entrance.
Artefacts recovered during the excavation include a decorated medieval floor tile, fragments of stained and painted glass, a pendant, sewing needles, a ring, several cannon balls and a mortar. Together, these finds reflect the Tower’s complex and layered character as fortress, place of worship, community, and centre of royal power.
This important work has featured today in The Times, underscoring its national and historical significance. PCA is proud to contribute to a project that is not only transforming understanding of the Tower’s past, but also helping to shape its future.
Press Enquiries
For more information about PCA, please contact Zbigniew Pozorski, PCA Senior Project Manager: ZPozorski@pre-construct.com
For media queries relating to the archaeology project and the Tower of London, please contact the Historic Royal Palaces Press Office: press@hrp.org.uk
PCA’s Senior Project Officer, Rita Pedro, and Project Manager, Judy Mlynarska, delivered a talk to Grantchester’s After 8s group on 10 July 2025, sharing preliminary findings from the archaeological excavation at 19 High Street, Grantchester.
The excavation uncovered substantial evidence of Saxon occupation, including several structures or ‘halls’ constructed using a variety of techniques: post-built, post-in-trench, and beam slot. A cooking pit or hearth was identified, along with numerous pits and both boundary and enclosure ditches. Notable finds included two decorated needles or dress pins, and a rare fragment of an amber bead.
The event was warmly received, with organisers describing it as “such an amazing evening,” and praising “a wonderful and interesting presentation.”
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
