Medieval Monastery Masonry Likely Reused in Historic Hospital Drain
Archaeologists in Perth, Scotland, believe stone fragments from a 15th-century Carthusian monastery have been discovered forming part of an 18th-century hospital drain.
Archaeologists working in Perth, Scotland, have uncovered evidence suggesting that masonry from a medieval monastery may have been repurposed for a drainage system at a historic hospital. Excavations last month revealed an 18th-century culvert constructed partly with stones believed to be from the Charterhouse, a monastery founded by King James I of Scotland.
The Charterhouse, established for monks of the Carthusian Order, was once a significant complex with a lavishly decorated church. Following its demolition over centuries, the medieval site was built over by a hospital and houses. The discovered culvert previously drained wastewater from the King James VI Hospital, which was built around 1749-1750 and later converted into residential flats.
During the dig at the former hospital grounds, archaeologists and volunteers found flat stones covering the drain that exhibit clear chisel marks characteristic of careful medieval craftsmanship, rather than typical 18th-century construction. "They are clearly far more elaborate, and far more effort had gone into their production, than you would do for a drain in the 1700s," archaeologist Dr. Gavin Lindsay told BBC Scotland News.
The recovered masonry also includes stone floor slabs with surfaces smoothed by years of wear. A stonemason who examined the fragments suggested that the wear patterns could be the result of countless monks' feet, and potentially even King James I's, walking upon them.
Volunteers involved in the Perth Charterhouse Project, led by Dr. Lucy Dean of the University of the Highlands and Islands Centre for History, sifted through soil removed from the site. Alongside 19th and 20th-century pottery and glass fragments, they discovered pieces identified as likely medieval.
The stones from the drain and other fragments will undergo further specialist examination to determine their precise age and origin. Researchers are also consulting historical archives to gather more information about the lost monastery.
Dr. Lindsay noted that fragments of the monastery's masonry have been identified in other local structures, including the retaining wall of Perth Station and boundary walls of gardens. The project is a collaboration involving the University of Stirling and the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, with funding provided by the trustees of King James VI Hospital and The Guildry Incorporation of Perth. Further excavations may be planned for the future.
