alfred 2 - University of Winchester

as a medieval boundary. Also a large solid surface, which is
located within the north east corner of the survey, is shown.
This is interpreted as a cobbled track, which was proved by
test pit 8 (discussed below). Also a scatter of both high and
low magmatic spots can also be seen across the survey. These
are thought to either be modern material or pit features.
Test pits 1-5 and 7-8
The test pits excavated were 1 m². Test pits 1 and 2 were
found to contain no archaeological deposits or material
and went straight down on the natural geology. Test pit 3
was shown to contain part of a large pit which was found
to contain pottery material which dated from both the late
Saxon period and to the 11th to 14th centuries. Also the pit
contained butchered animal bone and two pieces of possible
worked flint. Due to the material and colour of the pit fill, a
dark, greyish brown soil, it has been interpreted that this is
most likely to be the fill of a rubbish pit. Test pit 5 contained
an unidentifiable stone feature, which may be interpreted as
part of a stone building. The finds within this test pit were
medieval pottery and animal bone.
Test pits 4 and 7 will be discussed and interpreted below
as part of trench 6. Test pit 8 was excavated over a strong
anomaly, shown on the magnetometry survey located at
the north west corner. This test pit was found to contain a
cobbled track, which was previously unknown. The track is
estimated to be at least 6 m wide and is cambered. The track
seems to run down the northern edge of the field, but at
present its date is unknown.
Trench 6
The findings of test pit 4 and 7, and trench 6 are as follows.
The reason why these test pits and the trenches are grouped
together is that as test pit 4 was extended to become trench
6 and test pit 7 was dug directly next to trench 6. The size of
trench 6 measured 1.5 m by 2 m. The excavations within this
area have shown that there is a large cobbled surface, which
is estimated to measure about 15 m wide. Through the pottery
types found it is thought that the surface dates from the 12th –
14th centuries. The other main features found within trench 6
were two post holes which measured 0.20 m² by 0.15 m deep,
these are also thought to date from the same period as the
cobbled surface or earlier. The other finds contained within
trench 6 were flint material from both the Bronze Age and
Mesolithic periods, and animal bone and metal working slag.
2009 excavation results
During the 2009 excavation two trenches were dug, trench
9 and trench 11. Due to unexpected circumstances trench
10 was not excavated, and it is proposed that it will be dug
during the 2010 season.
Trench 9
Trench 9 was dug to examine a large magnetic anomaly
shown on the 2008 geophysical survey. The trench measured
10 m by 2 m. The survey anomaly was found to be a dump of
19th or 20th century metal working slag and building material,
though other earlier features, which were not shown on the
survey, were found below this layer. The features which were
found below the modern material were that of: a section of
the large cobbled surface ((0905) (0909)), which was also
found in trench 6 of the 2008 excavations; one post hole (cut
[0907]) which was located at the edge of the cobbled surface;
a possible timber slot (cut [0913]) and also the corner of a
large stone building (partly robbed) ([0914]), and building
interior (0937), which was found at the southern end of
the trench. The date of these features has been shown, by
pottery evidence, to be between the 12th and 14th centuries.
Also found within the trench were two Late Anglo Saxon
features. One is a pit (cut [0925]) which had been truncated
by the timber slot, which contained a section of pot handle
which has been dated to the Late Anglo Saxon period, and
the second is a stone wall [0923] (0.52 m wide) and also a
thin gravelled surface (0922) which butts up to it (0.40 m
wide). It has been suggested that this wall is also Late Anglo
Saxon in date as it was found beneath the cobbled surface
and is therefore possibly contemporary with the truncated
pit, though no artefacts were found within it. A plan of the
features found within Trench 9 can be seen in figure 2.
Residual finds from trench 9 include a few pieces of well
travelled Roman pot, a Bronze Age thumb scraper and other
worked flints.
9