Blaze in city centre may yield medieval secrets

The fire that swept through the historic heart of Edinburgh last weekend might lead to the discovery by archaeologists of medieval secrets buried for centuries when damaged buildings are demolished.

A spokesman for Edinburgh City Council said: "This part of the old town has been a centre of city life for centuries. The Cowgate over the years has been built on in various stages as it developed.

"We expect to find the foundations of early houses at the very least and possibly various artefacts of medieval life. It's a case of just digging in and seeing what we can come up with."

The area, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, is a World Heritage Site.

Many of the properties damaged in the blaze, which started last Saturday, date back to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The narrow cobbled streets and grey stone buildings evolved from a warren of homes and businesses that flourished beneath the South Bridge, built in 1788, which links The Mound and the rest of the city.

A series of 18th-century workshops where tanners, sailmakers and cobblers made wares to be sold in the open market on the bridge have left their mark on the area. Be-neath these known remnants of a bygone age are thought to be the remains of a thriving community at least one or two centuries older.

Archaeologists believe that they will discover artefacts and parts of dwellings from the 15th and 16th centuries, or even earlier when the block adjacent to the South Bridge is cleared brick by brick.

Edinburgh City Council's archaeologist, John Lawson, has said the Old Town is an area of great interest, and fellow experts involved in sifting the debris to record discoveries acknowledge that the fire has presented them with a unique opportunity.

"There is so much history here that it almost feels as though the ground is saturated by it," said a member of the team yesterday. "The fire has been a tragedy for the city but it has also presented us with an opportunity to look even further into the past and perhaps find out a little more about life in Edinburgh during medieval times."

The blaze that swept through the area destroyed 11 properties and damaged six more. It is believed to have started in a nightclub and worked its way up through the buildings in the Cowgate, along Guthrie Street and onwards towards Chambers Street.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. The cost of the damage is expected to run to millions of pounds.