Extraordinary Inundations of the Sea: Excavations at Market Mews, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, by Mark Hinman and Elizabeth Popescu, describes a relatively small scale investigation, but the first properly documented archaeological excavation in the core of Wisbech. It fills a gaping void in previous knowledge of the character and quality of the archaeological remains in the town and represents an important first step in redressing the regional imbalance in published medieval port sequences, such as those of King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.
The site lies within the confines of the New Market, to the north of the Norman castle. An impressive sequence of deeply stratified medieval to early post-medieval deposits was revealed, demonstrating at least thirteen building phases. One structure contained evidence for in-situ metalworking during the mid 14th to mid 15th century. The buildings were each sealed by fine silts deposited during episodic flooding which can be broadly linked to documented climatic conditions of the period.
