Archaeologists have uncovered rare medieval remains in Glasgow’s city centre, offering a remarkable glimpse into the city’s earliest suburbs.
The excavation, carried out by Guard Archaeology at the Spoutmouth site in the Gallowgate area, revealed well-preserved wooden posts, woven wattle fencing and fragments of medieval pottery dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
The findings were made 4.5 metres below the modern street level on land being redeveloped for social housing.
Thomas Muir, who is leading the dig, described the discovery as “a remarkable survival of organic archaeology in an area of the city that has witnessed substantial development over the many years since Glasgow was first established.”
He added: “A small sliver of medieval Glasgow has somehow survived centuries of building and rebuilding.”
The team has so far unearthed 63 upright posts arranged in three lines, believed to mark the boundaries of early medieval settlement. Because the site regularly floods, the waterlogged conditions helped preserve the wooden structures for centuries.
“Caught up in the wattle fencing are numerous sherds of medieval pottery, animal bone and other organic material,” Mr Muir explained.
“This rare discovery of preserved wooden structures opens a window into Glasgow’s past when it underwent its first wave of major expansion. It is no news that Glasgow will celebrate its 850th anniversary of receiving burgh status this year, but, remarkably, in the same year, we have discovered some evidence of those beginnings at Spoutmouth.”
Bob Will, Guard Archaeology’s medieval pottery expert, confirmed that the bulk of the finds date to the 13th–14th centuries. He noted that the fencing “appears to be part of a very early eastward expansion of the medieval burgh.”
The Spoutmouth site, once used as a car park, is being transformed into a £9.3m development of 34 homes for social rent and two commercial units, supported by a £5.57m Scottish government grant. Planning conditions required a full archaeological investigation before construction could begin.
The excavation is expected to finish by November. The posts and pottery will be carefully removed for analysis before being transferred to local museums. Building work will then proceed, with the project due for completion by summer 2027.
The site lies on the former line of the Molendinar Burn, a historic watercourse that once flowed openly through the city before being culverted in the 1800s. It is closely associated with St Mungo, who founded his church on its banks in the late 6th century.
Glasgow later gained burgh status in 1175 under King William the Lion, securing key economic and legal privileges that shaped its growth into one of Scotland’s most important cities.
