AN ancient whale, 17th century cannonball and the remnants of Leith's 16th century sea defences have all come to light as work began again this week on extending Edinburgh's tram network.
Archaeologists started excavating the area last November as part of plans to add 2.9 miles to the tram line, connecting Leith and Newhaven to the current end of the Edinburgh tram line at York Place.
And, as construction started again on Monday following the lockdown, the city council revealed their findings from earlier this year.
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They said the historic artefacts unearthed around Constitution Street had been investigated by archaeologists and shed new light on the area's history.
A small iron cannonball was uncovered and is believed to date back to the 17th century - a type used around the time of the Civil War when Leith was refortified.
Archaeologists also found the heavily truncated remains of a large stone wall running east to west under the junction of Bernard Street and Constitution Street. They believe it may be part of the seawall for the 16th and 17th century town fortifications and a spokeswoman said they would be investigating it further once the project is fully operational again.
Ancient whale bones were also found on Constitution Street near its junction with Baltic Street. Experts believe they are a matching radius and ulna (part of the fin) of a large adult male sperm whale.
The bones have yet to be carbon dated - due to Covid-19 delays - which they hope will help explain how they ended up under the pavement in Leith.
Among possible theories are that they were brought back in the 19th or 20th century as a memento as part of Leith’s historic whaling industry or that they came from the remains of a whale beached locally and were later dumped there.
They may also have been part of medieval deposits left during the reclamation of the site in the 17th to 19th centuries.
The team, from Guard Archaeology Ltd, also excavated an area between Bernard Street and Tower Street and said it revealed important evidence relating to the reclamation of the area. They uncovered a large system of 19th century interlinked brick and stone box-drains, 18th century walls and a possible slipway. They said evidence of 17th century clay pipes also indicated that the reclamation of the foreshore - when land was extended into the Forth - could have occurred earlier than first thought.
Archaeologist John Lawson said finding the whale bones was 'particularly fascinating and exciting.'
"These bones provide a rare glimpse into and also a physical link with Leith’s whaling past, one of its lesser known maritime industries and one which in the 20th century reached as far as the Antarctic," he said.
"Given the circumstances of how they were found it is possible that they may date back to the medieval period, and if so would be a rare and exciting archaeological discovery in Edinburgh.”
He said all of the finds offered an interesting glimpse into the area's history over the past 400 years and they would now work to conserve them.
Council leader Adam McVey said the new discoveries continued to shed light on the area's 'fascinating and varied history'.
“I’m pleased that the team will now be able to resume their work as part of the project, which is vital to conserving the area’s past, and look forward to finding out even more as they progress," he added.
Deputy leader Cammy Day said the trams to Newhaven project was crucial to the long term development of the city and would deliver 'much needed' housing, jobs and investment for the future.
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"As part of its delivery, it’s fitting that we also learn more about Leith’s past, as these remarkable findings are helping us to do," he said.
During the first phase of the archaeological work last year, the team took down part of a wall surrounding Constitution Street graveyard, dating back to 1790, ahead of excavation of the historic graveyard thought to be underneath Constitution Street and the South Leith Parish Church wall.
They discovered what appeared to be a large charnel pit which may contain the remains of some burials recovered from the laying of 19th century services in Constitution Street. More work is to take place on the finds once restrictions lift further.
Construction resumed on existing sites on Lindsay Road, Melrose Drive and Constitution Street this week, along with preparatory works on Leith Walk.The main construction works on Leith Walk from Elm Row to Crown Place will start next Monday.
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