ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION - Mike Griffiths and Associates

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75). The stratigraphically earliest fill to be encountered, C1217, consisted of a tipping deposit of grey clean
sterile silt and proved to be homogenous and contained only gravel. C1217 was visible in both the east and west
facing sections of F30, and was very similar to a band of gravelly coarse sand in the surrounding natural system
at the same height as C1217. C1217 was overlain by a deposit of sterile gravel which contained black-coloured
flecks which were thought to be manganese mineralisation (C1220). C1220 was overlain by a desiccated poorquality
blocky peat with occasional veins of silver sand and mixed gravel throughout (C1219), which appeared
to be tipping or ‘u’-shaped in profile. This deposit was overlain in turn by C1218 a tip of clean grey silt with
rare charcoal flecks (2%), which was only visible in the north facing section of the feature. C1218 was overlain
by another deposit with a tipping profile, C1216, which was a gravel-rich grey coarse sand. C1216 was defined
as a clean sterile grey silt with rare mixed gravel inclusions measuring 0.50m thick within the excavated sample,
although its full depth is unknown. This deposit was sealed by a ‘u’-shaped deposit of clean brown gravel-rich
silt measuring up to c.1.00m in depth, which represented the latest fill of the feature (C1211).
The fill system of F30 consisted mainly of tipping deposits, at least one of which represented the slumping of
the surrounding natural subsoil (C1217), and only one of which consisted of desiccated peat (C1219); F30 was
consequently interpreted as a sink hole and corresponded with the position of F24 (Intervention 4).
8.2.22 Intervention 28
Intervention 28 was situated 28.80m from the northern
boundary of Zone D within Zone B (see Figure 36). This
machine-excavated trench measured 50m x 4m and was
orientated east-west (Plate 32). Ground surface sloped down
from c.41.15m AOD at the western end of the trench to
c.40.55m AOD at the eastern end. The dark yellowish-brown
ploughsoil (C1123) was found to be c.0.40m in depth
throughout the trench and overlay an orangish-brown gravel and
clayey silt subsoil (C1124) which became more grey and silty
towards the eastern end of the trench.
Plate 32 Intervention 28 looking east (scale
2m)
A single feature, F32 was identified within Intervention 28 and was situated against the southern edge of the
trench and continued beyond it (Figure 76). It appeared as a possibly circular deposit of dark olive grey sandy
clay measuring c.0.70m in diameter. The entire available area was excavated and the feature proved to be a
shallow, possibly sub-rectangular cut with steep sides and a flat base (Figure 77). Definition of the feature’s
edges against C1124 was problematic, but two deposits were identified during excavation, C1214 and C1215.
C1215 was the earliest backfill and consisted of a mixed olive grey friable clayey sand with lenses of friable
yellow sand throughout. Occasional mixed gravel and pebbles were noted, but the deposit was otherwise sterile.
C1215 was overlain by C1214, a dark olive grey sandy clay which contained charcoal flecks and very rare (2%)
fine mixed gravel. F32 was interpreted as a small pit; no dateable material was recovered during excavation.
8.2.23 Intervention 29
Intervention 29 was situated towards the northern boundary of Zone B (see Figure 36). The machine-excavated
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