Hull

City on the Humber estuary, northeast England. A 12th-century settlement called Wyc de Mitune is known to have existed somewhere close to modem Hull, but the centre of commerce seems to have changed from the mid- to late 13th century onwards, when High Street became the core of the new town. Excavations throughout this town have revealed the archaeological evidence for the port’s high standing in Britain’s late medieval overseas trade. Most of the houses are brick-built and their cess-pits tend to contain large amounts of imported pottery ranging from western French Saintonge wares in the 13th century to 15th-century German stonewares and Flemish redwares. Besides the high number of imported pots, glass and many other objects have come to light, illustrating Hull’s prominence in North Sea trade.