Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

In *Oxford Brian Durham has been very active in a whole range of
sites,-since a number of development projects maiuréd'dùring the
year. Undoubtedly the most interestingsite was 1824 New Inn.Hall
Street where John BlaWs examination of St. Mary's College was
continued while the contraCtoral excavations allOwed an.examination
of late Saxon deposits in the New Inn Hall Street and Shoe Lane
frontages. In New Inn Hall Street the discovery of d penny. of
Edward the Elder on the lowest street surface.lehds support to the
idea.that Oxford'a defences and intra-mural road were laid out by
Edward following his annexation of Oxford in 911/912. At 65 St
Aldate's,-the former Morris Garages site, the tOrtuous negotiations
to.excavate were finally succesaful'. However, the trial excavations
showed that the only available part of the site was occupied by a
medieval river channel. On the opposite side of the road at 3340
St. Aldate's part Of a medieval.stone causeway was uncovered. To
the west of thèse excavations in the ,precincts of the medieval
Blackfriara, George Lambrick identified' the south-western corner of
the great'cloister. Further work waS-also possible at the end of
the year at 21 Longwall.Street also a former Morris Garage. Here
Brian Durham examined the outer city'wall and ditch.
The largest excavation in Oxfordshire in 1978 was the
continuation and completion of the excavation.at Chalgrove of the
.Harding's Field moated manor house site. Once again the excavation
was-directed for the Unit by Phillip Page. 'As the -report explains
the site is now to be preserved by the CoUnty Council beneath the
prhposed gaying-ield. As a result the excavations this year
were'aiMed-atundetstanding the phases thus far excavated leaving
the earliest'deposits intact. The excavatiOn of such a large' and
important medieval rural site will help to complement the extensive
urban excavations in Oxford and smaller medieval rural projects.
'A large number of smaller'excavations have taken place elsewhere
in the County. Many of them have been conducted by local societies -
and-individuals. 0onceSsain-Richard Chambers has been coordinating
thiSactivity. The details are listed below. However, it is worth .
singling Out the Oxford University ArchaeolOgical Society's
excavation of a. neolithic (?) ring-jditch at ARC's Dix Pit at:
Stanton Harcourt under the direction of John Taylor; Ruth and Ernest
Jusea-watching brief at Redlands gravel pit.at Caversham; the South
Oxfordshire ArchaeologiCal Group's sections of the Iron Age earthwork
known as the Devil's Churchyard at Checkendon; the impressive work
on a ring ditch compleie with Beaker and' Iron Age site both at
.Radley by Godfrey:Jones and Jeff-Wallis with the'Abingdon
Archaeological and. Historical Society; Peter Biebrach continues to
produce Roman material from King's End Farm, Bicester. There have
also been iwo.excavations at Wallingford. 'Brian Durham discovered
the first major-late Saxon pit frOM the tWo at 940St. Martin's
Street. Richard Chambers assisted by the Wallingford Historical
and Archaeological Society excavated at 5-7 Castle Street. Joyce
Hall and the Didcot and District Archaeological and:Historical
Society continue to examine sites aroùnd the town,- The Thame
Historical Society have also been watching the Thame by-pass.
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