Medieval Tannery Discovered in Norwich

NORWICH, ENGLAND—Excavation at a construction site in the center of Norwich has unearthed a medieval tannery. Goat horncores and bones from cattle and cats suggest that animals were processed at the leather-tanning site, which may have produced vellum for making scrolls and books at two nearby friaries. “The cat bones in the assemblage are of interest, especially the cut juvenile bone. It is quite possible that cats were also providing skins and fur at this site—a common practice in medieval Britain and one that has been seen in Norwich. There is the possibility that cat fur could have made small items or contributed to other garments being produced, [such as] fur trims to leather gloves or hats,” read an archaeologists’ report quoted in EDP 24. County archaeologist David Gurney adds that the tannery was located within the city walls. “We know that from the late thirteenth century there were more than 120 different crafts and trades going on in Norwich and leather working gets mentioned quite a lot,” he said. To read about an archaeological site in England occupied in the prehistoric, Roman, and medieval periods, see "Letter From England: The Scientist's Garden."