Sutton Common Updated project design - University of Exeter

1997 Land purchased by the Carstairs Countryside Trust.
1997 Centre for Wetland Archaeology topographical survey of the site (Van de Noort &
Chapman 1997, Chapman & Van de Noort 2001). The results from this survey led
to a proposal to investigate preservation at the site (Van de Noort 1998), and the
creation of a project design (Chapman & Van de Noort 1998) aimed at both assessing
groundwater conditions and investigation the quality of preservation of the
archaeology. In autumn 1997 a network of piezometers was installed and began to
be monitored (Van de Noort et al. 2001, Chapman & Cheetham in press).
1997-2003 Water table monitoring and burial environment assessment undertaken as part of a
PhD scheme of work by James Cheetham.
1998 Centre for Wetland Archaeology preservation assessment took place as part of the
same project as the water table monitoring (Van de Noort & Chapman 1999). The
archaeological -assessment consisted of four trenches crossing the eastern entrance
to the smaller enclosure and the western, eastern and southern entrances to the
larger enclosure. The results from this work echoed the previous conclusions that
only the basal 20 cm of ditch deposits (represented by a blue clay) within the smaller
enclosure were still preserved. Within the larger enclosure the results indicated
elaborate gateways on the eastern and western sides with massive oak posts. The
eastern side displayed phasing evidence with the earlier palisade and the western
side displayed evidence of stonewalling.
1999 Due to the higher than expected levels of preservation that were encountered a
second more systematic project of excavation was undertaken by the Centre for
Wetland Archaeology (Van de Noort & Chapman 2000). This project established
the alphanumeric excavation grid across the site. A 30 x 30 m square was excavated
around the entrance to the larger enclosure, with ten 30 x 3 m trenches excavated
in the top sections of the other grid squares in an alternate pattern.
42