Untitled - Council for British Archaeology

101NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON THE BERKSHIRE DOWNS IN OXFORDSHIRE - Anne Davisand Annie UpsonThe DoE has commissioned Julian Richard of the Berkshire ArchaeologicalUnit to undertake an archaeological survey of the Downs. However, thissurvey as originally envisaged, was to stop at the 1974 County boundary andwould therefore have excluded the parishes situated on the scarp of theDowns. Accordingly the Oxfordshire Archaeological Unit offered to carry out arapid survey of the Downs in the new County.The initial identifications of new sites and the compilation of theGazetteer were carried out by Annie Upson, one of the in-service trainees ofthe Oxford University Department for External Studies. The work was finallycompleted by Anne Davis, another in-service trainee.The main sources of information that were searched, were the collectionsof aerial photographs housed by the bodies described below. Julian Richardskindly advised on the use of these photographs which were made available forstudy by the relevant bodies. The study of the photographs was backed up byfieldwork during which several new sites were revealed.During the survey new information was gained on previously known sitesand a total of sixty new sites were identified with varying degrees ofcertainty. The majority of these new sites were examined on the ground.The full survey of the Downs will be published by the BerkshireArchaeological Unit with whom copies of the work in Oxfordshire have beendeposited. The notes, record maps and card indexes of the sites inOxfordshire have been deposited with the Field Department, Oxfordshire CountyCouncil Department of Museum Services. Primary Record Numbers have beenallocated to all the sites and only the new sites are listed here.Gazetteer of New Sites (Fig. 29)The numbered black circles on the map represent new sites identified byAnnie Upson. The description of each site is followed by the air photographsource where appropriate, abbreviated as shown below. PRN numbers refer to theSites and Monuments Record of the Oxfordshire County Department of MuseumServices in Woodstock, from which further information can be obtained both onthese sites and on the previously known ones which have not been included here.Sources of aerial photographs are as follows:Allen:CUCAP:NMR:RAF 1967:Ashmolean MuseumCambridge University Committee for Aerial PhotographyNational Monuments RecordCover held by Berkshire County Council PlanningDepartmentFairey 1963, 1969 and 1976: refers to covers held byBerkshire County Council Planning Department, ReadingShrivenham (SU 256897). 3 ring ditches, one with linear feature runningnorthwards. NRM 1935. PRN 11019Shrivenham (SU 252888).Fairey 1963. PRN 11015Rectangular enclosure with large pit-like mark.Ashbury (SU 264833) ? Barrow, plundered or ploughed out. RAF 1967.PRN 11006