ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION - Mike Griffiths and Associates

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No features were identified within Intervention 22.
8.2.17 Intervention 23
Intervention 23 was located in Zone C in the southwestern
corner of the site. The trench was positioned to investigate two
anomalies identified by the magnetometry survey, which had
been partially excavated within Interventions 17 and 18 ( being
Intervention 4, F28 and 29=Intervention 17, F12 and
Intervention 18, F13) (see Figure 36). This machine-excavated
trench measured 100m x 4m and was orientated north-south
(Plate 24). The ground surface in the area of the trench was
fairly level at c.42.50m AOD. The dark yellowish-brown gravel
and clayey silt ploughsoil (C1123) was found to be c.0.30m
deep. The underlying natural subsoil consisted of an
Plate 24 Intervention 23 looking north (scale
2m)
homogenous orangish-brown gravel and clayey silt subsoil with small areas of cleaner clay towards the southern
end of the trench (C1124).
Six features were identified within Intervention 23 (F15, F16,
F17, F18, F19, F22) (Figure 58). F15 was situated 45.60m from
the northern end of the intervention and was defined as a suboval
deposit of friable dark brown sandy-silt (Plate 25). The
feature measured 0.50m long by 0.30m wide and upon
excavation proved to be 0.10m deep, backfilled with C1197
(Figure 59). C1197 consisted of a sterile dark brown sandy silt
with occasional pea gravel inclusions and rare charcoal flecks.
No dateable material was recovered from F15. F15 was
interpreted as a possible small truncated scoop or pit.
Plate 25 F15, Intervention 23, looking east
(scale 0.3m)
F16 was situated 4.80m to the south of F15 and was defined as a small sub-circular deposit of dark yellowishbrown
sandy silt. The feature measured c.0.56m in diameter and upon excavation proved to have near vertical
sides and a flat base, being 0.40m deep. The feature was half-sectioned approximately east-west and was found
to contain Neolithic pottery and lithic material and following recording the remaining half was excavated to
recover all material and the full form of the feature. The feature contained two backfills allocated C1190 and
C1191. C1191 was the earliest backfill and consisted of a dark greyish-brown silty sand with occasional fine
gravel and charcoal flecks throughout. A small assemblage of pottery was recovered from C1191 and
assessment identified three vessels. A deep bag-shaped vessel with carination was represented and thought to
be Grimston ware. A thin-walled flat-based and flared sided vessel made of a quartz-gritted fabric was also
identified. A third vessel was also represented but was weathered and appeared to be a thick-walled vessel made
in a calcite-gritted fabric. A total of eleven flint flakes and one chert flake were recovered from C1191 during
excavation, some of which appeared to have been utilised. An end scraper and a leaf-shaped arrowhead assigned
to Green’s type series 3A were also recovered. Overlying C1191 was a second backfill which consisted of a
dark yellowish-brown silty sand and contained occasional fine gravel inclusions. No ceramic was recovered
FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY SPECIALISTS