Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

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The
to cross a smail-doubleAitched enclosure.
enclosure square ili.shape, measuring at its maximum. 20 m
by 24 m, was shown to be of.thrée:Ohases. The initial' one was
represented by a broad but-shallOWrvrofiled gmlly, which for themost
part had been destroyed by'the cutting Of the later ditches.
The second phase represented the main inner.ditch. It had a
Surviving depth of 0.60 M to 0.80 t and was. less than 1 m wide. All
sections showed evidnce'of a reCUt.
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The.third.phase - the Outer ditch = although of similar-Shape
to the inner ditCh'enclosed a slightlygreater area. It was also
.shown siratigraphically. to post date the inner ditch which 'hSd been
intentionally backfilled.
The pit alignment, of which four piti were investigated, was
found to cut the inner ditch of the square enclosure. The general
dimensions, profiles and fills of these pits were-all similar. They
were either circular or slightly angular in plan with a sUrviving
depth of 0.70 m, width at top c. 1.70 m and width at bottom c..0.70 m.
-The'interval between centres of the pits'appeared to be between 2.5
and 3 m.
The pits showed no evidence as to their function and had all
apparently silted naturally. Virtually.no occupation Material
was recovered from the Whole excavation so dating is extremely loose.
However, a few carbonised spelt seeds were recovered from the &ittaM
of one. pit, Providing an uncertain_terminus post quern ofthe -
beginning of the Iron Age for the pit alignment:
Several. feasability-tests.wereaIso carried oui,imit onlY the
southern peripherY of the complex was accessable for saMpling..
Phosphate analysis sampling showed significant concentrations In a .
transect across dense and sparSe cropmark areas, While.a geophySical
survey gave rather. inconclusive results, but its use* on the main
occupation areas was not'ruled out. The pH of the.gravel was
saficient tà indicate the unexceptional survival of* bone. The sites
position on the second terrace rules out the abundance of waterlogged
material.- However,:samples shOwed the presence of carbonised material
even on the periphery of the occupation area.
It was Concluded' that the sites importance derived principally
from its Interpretation as a coMplete land unit rather than on the
archaeologiCaland environmental survival: Accordingly, a brief
research design was outlined and further work'on the site suggested 7
'initially by another small trial excavation concentrating on the main
complex with further testing of pre=exCavation techniques andsampling
methods. .
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