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Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

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same period and located on the gravel terraces bordering the alluvial<br />

flood-plain of the Thames.<br />

Post-excavation mork on material already excavated is now under'<br />

May, and excavation Will resume-later in the year.<br />

40: RADLEY, Tuckwell's Pit - Godfrey Jones, Roger Thomas, Jeff Wallis;<br />

Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical<br />

Society<br />

ring ditChknOwn from aerial-photoiraphs was located after<br />

mechanical stripping of the.topsoil prior to gravel extraction.<br />

Clearing.showed the feature to be 10 m in diameter, with a Central<br />

oval pit c,-2 M X 1.50 M.. Excavation Of this central pit produced<br />

a Beaker., but no traces 61 any'aCcompanyini<br />

Altbough not shown on plan, about one third of ihe.turrounding ditch<br />

was excavated but only produced a flint.arrowhead.<br />

41. STANTON HARCOURT - J W Taylor, Ox<strong>for</strong>d University Archaeological<br />

Society<br />

In October 1979.the OUAS, at the request'of the Ox<strong>for</strong>dshire<br />

ArchaeologiCal Unit began reacut.work On a site in-advance of its<br />

destruction by graVel -extraction:'' This miork'Maa made possible -*-<br />

throUgh the cooperation of ARC. Work was carried out in a seriea of<br />

weekend excavations lasting until December 1979.<br />

The site lies 865 msouth-soith-west of Stanton Harcourt Church,<br />

and 220 m.directli north7west of "Devil's Quoits" hengeAnOnuMent.'<br />

It lies in the north-West qUadrani-of a-168Jiectare (416 acre)<br />

gravel quarry (SP 4129 0489). This area Is bonnded on the west by.<br />

the B4449 road.linking Stanton.Harcourt with Standlake, on the east<br />

. ,<br />

by the River Ifindrush.ana to the north by the Eynsham road. .<br />

The site lies-Onthe'pecond. gravel terrace Of the Thames-ata<br />

height of .69.52 M 0.D. The immediate area Maslévellea dUring the<br />

construction of a World War II airfield. In preparation <strong>for</strong> -<br />

quarrYing operations ARC mechanically retoved the conCréte funmay<br />

revealing the oUtline'Of.a ring ditth on:the gravel surface beneath.<br />

This feature waS not observable in the aerial photograPhic study of<br />

the area<br />

_<br />

made by.Major djjAllen in 1933,. prior to runway construction.<br />

.<br />

Although the ring.ditch yielded no finds,' the 'in<strong>for</strong>mation'<br />

obtained on the structural nature of the feature is valuable. The<br />

ditch.map:roughly circular in plan with a diameter of just over 10 m.<br />

The ditch Maa not continuouS in the traditional sense,'butconsiSted<br />

of a series Of'adjaCent'bOt417Shdped' pits,' being roughly oval in plan.<br />

These pits were of varying depths separated by "causeways of'<br />

undisturbed gravel". .These causeways as found did not exiend<br />

upWard to:the ,present groUnd level OnlY in the south-west'quadrant<br />

of thé ring ditch did the.cauaeMayreach ground.level to-<strong>for</strong>m a<br />

- 182 -

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