This paper is drawn from an AHRC collaborative project between the University of York and the York Archaeological Trust entitled 'Possessions, Consumption and Choice in York between c.1400-1900'. This project consisted of two historians and an archaeologists and used the wealth of published and unpublished archaeological data held by the York Archaeological Trust and the rich historical archives of the city held in its archives. 

York, like a number of towns in the United Kingdom, has a wealth of data relating to its origins and development recovered during the hey day of rescue archaeology; this data, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s but also the 1990s that remains unexplored in the archives. The archaeological study of the Possessions project sought to examine the development of urban neighbourhoods. This required the managment of data from excavations as well as the historical sources. This paper outlines the methodology used in the archaeological project to collate and analysise excavation data with cartographic and historical sources. Through the use of GIS it was possible to trace the changes and development of York over a long time frame and consider the social use of space in an integrated and dynamic manner.