Studies of early fourth-millennium BC Britain have typically focused on the Early Neolithic sites... more Studies of early fourth-millennium BC Britain have typically focused on the Early Neolithic sites of Wessex and Orkney; what can the investigation of sites located in areas beyond these core regions add? The authors report on excavations (2011–2019) at Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire, which have revealed a remarkable complex of Early Neolithic monuments: three long barrows constructed on the footprints of three timber buildings that had been deliberately burned, plus a nearby causewayed enclosure. A Bayesian chronological model demonstrates the precocious character of many of the site's elements and strengthens the evidence for the role of tombs and houses/halls in the creation and commemoration of foundational social groups in Neolithic Britain.
Late Mesolithic, Middle Bronze Age and Late Iron Age/romano-british Activity at Crowdhill, Fair Oak, Eastleigh
Hampshire Studies, 2021
Nine areas, totalling 1.3ha were excavated after evaluation and desk-based assessment at land nea... more Nine areas, totalling 1.3ha were excavated after evaluation and desk-based assessment at land near Crowdhill, Eastleigh (NGR 448830 119560). Features were densest in Areas 1 and 2, with evidence dating from the Palaeolithic to the early Romano- British period. Three pieces of flint from a Long Blade assemblage were recovered, probably from a small localised scatter. A core tool rough-out, probably for a Mesolithic tranchet axe, was found in a pit with charred hazelnut shells from which two radiocarbon dates were obtained. Two cremation graves, each containing urned deposits, and an urned 'cenotaph' provide information about the inhabitants of the area although contemporary settlement evidence is lacking. By the Late Bronze Age there was evidence for settlement in the form of a pit containing flint-tempered pottery, worked flint and burnt flint along with charred cereal grain. A radiocarbon date was obtained on charred cereal grain from this pit confirming its age. There was ...
Evidence for working rock crystal, a rare form of water-clear type of quartz, is occasionally rec... more Evidence for working rock crystal, a rare form of water-clear type of quartz, is occasionally recovered from prehistoric sites in Britain and Ireland, however, very little has been written on the specific methods of working this material, and its potential significance in the past. This paper presents the first synthesis of rock crystal evidence from Britain and Ireland, before examining a new assemblage from the Early Neolithic site of Dorstone Hill, Herefordshire. This outlines a methodology for analysing and interpreting this unusual material, and, through comparison with the flint assemblage, examines the specific uses and treatments of this material. Far from being used to make tools, we argue the distinctive and exotic rock crystal was being used to create distinctive and memorable moments, binding individuals together, forging local identities, and connecting the living and the dead.
Evidence for working rock crystal, a rare form of water-clear type of quartz, is occasionally rec... more Evidence for working rock crystal, a rare form of water-clear type of quartz, is occasionally recovered from prehistoric sites in Britain and Ireland, however, very little has been written on the specific methods of working this material, and its potential significance in the past. This paper presents the first synthesis of rock crystal evidence from Britain and Ireland, before examining a new assemblage from the Early Neolithic site of Dorstone Hill, Herefordshire. This outlines a methodology for analysing and interpreting this unusual material, and, through comparison with the flint assemblage, examines the specific uses and treatments of this material. Far from being used to make tools, we argue the distinctive and exotic rock crystal was being used to create distinctive and memorable moments, binding individuals together, forging local identities, and connecting the living and the dead.
Two ring ditch excavations at Willington, Derbyshire, 2014
The upcoming construction of a housing estate on the northern edge of Willington led to a program... more The upcoming construction of a housing estate on the northern edge of Willington led to a programme of trial trenching, followed by two small areas of archaeological excavation. One area contained the heavily truncated remains of a hengi-form ceremonial monument, defined by two concentric ring ditches with a grave at the centre. Little evidence was found to date the monument, but it remained a focus of activity until at least the Middle Bronze Age from its origin in the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. The other area was focused on a single ring ditch: the ditch itself was essentially undated, but a nearby cluster of pits contained pottery and loom weights dating to the Late Bronze Age.
The Cow Cave CC16 project was a rescue excavation and sampling project undertaken in response to ... more The Cow Cave CC16 project was a rescue excavation and sampling project undertaken in response to ongoing damage to the site through natural and human causes. The project was funded by Historic England and managed by Devon County Council, with fieldwork carried out in 2016 and laboratory analysis over 2016 and early 2017. The cave preserves a nationally important long sequence of sediments dating from the late Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene.
examined a small sub-square enclosure connected to field system ditches, and four adjacent waterh... more examined a small sub-square enclosure connected to field system ditches, and four adjacent waterholes, the site producing a small assemblage of finds including Romano-British pottery. The presence of the enclosure had been revealed by a geophysical (detailed gradiometer) survey on the site of the proposed Rossington Inland Port (Wessex Archaeology 2012a). The survey, conducted in five adjacent fields (Fields A-E) totalling approximately 40 ha, had also revealed elements of an ancient field system known from aerial photographs to be far more extensive and to incorporate within it a number of other enclosures (Figure 1). Many of the geophysical anomalies in Fields BE (some of which related to field boundaries known from maps to be of post-medieval and modern date) were investigated by phases of trench evaluation (Wessex Archaeology 2012b; 2014a); Field A was initially not accessible for evaluation. Evaluation also targeted some of the cropmarks recorded in fields to the north (Field F and Borrow Pit 2) (Wessex Archaeology 2012c; 2015). In 2012, on the basis of the initial evaluation results, an area of 1.1 ha in Field B (Trench B), immediately surrounding the sub-square enclosure and an adjacent waterhole, as well as a ditch running north from the enclosure, was subject to excavation (centred on NGR 458800 398740) (Figure 2). Subsequently, in 2014, some of the field boundaries to the south, in Field A, were also subject to targeted excavation in five Trenches (A1-A5), totalling 0.5 ha (centred on NGR 458900 398550) (Figures 2 and 5).
Despite the 'noise' on the magnetometer survey (Fig 3), the majority of anomalies can be attribut... more Despite the 'noise' on the magnetometer survey (Fig 3), the majority of anomalies can be attributed to the local geology, ground metals or quarrying. There are, however, a number of pits that could possibly be anthropogenic though the dating of these and their exact nature cannot be proven without excavation. Their distribution does not form any real patterning. Two perfectly circular pits may be archaeological in origin. The first is located 150m SW of the centre of Henge 2, near the western edge of the survey area and measures 8m across. The second is situated 40m SW of the centre of the round mound and measures 6m in diameter. The nature of these pits remains unknown but both are well defined, perfectly circular and certainly do not appear to be natural features. CALCINED BONE FROM THE CENTRAL PIT [10], YARNBURY Alan Ogden The assemblage comprises 7g of small fragments of mammalian bone, brittle and heatfractured, with a maximum length of 20mm. Most fragments are completely calcined, with distortion and shrinkage giving the bone a porcelain-like texture and showing that the cremation had been thorough and had exceeded a temperature of 600 o C. Calcined bone is the most difficult burnt stage to analyse because the bone warps and cracks, with the shrinkage rate ranging from 2-25% between the temperatures of 600 o C and 800 o C. In this case the calcined bone is distorted, warped, and fractured beyond any potential for classification or identification. None of the fragments could be unambiguously identified as human.
Excavations by Oxford Archaeology at Glyn House, Ewell, revealed prehistoric, Roman and post-medi... more Excavations by Oxford Archaeology at Glyn House, Ewell, revealed prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval remains. Activity of Mesolithic date was identified by the presence of residual microliths. Two concentric curvilinear gullies (one of which contained a barbed-and-tanged flint arrowhead) and a tree-throw hole in the south-eastern corner of the site indicated an area of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity. Lying to the north-west of the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity was evidence of Roman settlement, including a dense band of intercutting pits, part of a post-built structure and several deep pits (not fully excavated because of their depth), possibly well shafts. Overlying the Roman settlement was a post-medieval structure, which may have been the remains of the rectory, and a number of garden features.
Excavation of a Medieval Farmhouse with an adjacent Droveway, at Beaple's Moor Cross, Knowstone
Archaeological works undertaken in advance of the installation of a wind farm between Batsworthy ... more Archaeological works undertaken in advance of the installation of a wind farm between Batsworthy Cross and Beaple’s Moor Cross, Knowstone, Devon, revealed the remains of a medieval farmhouse, associated field boundaries and a droveway. No earlier settlement was detected, though the droveway is considered prehistoric in origin. The farmhouse was probably constructed in the 13th century, when favourable environmental and economic conditions led to agrarian expansion into the upland fringes. The subsequent deterioration in the weather and the socio-economic changes wrought by famine and plague are likely to have been influential in the site’s abandonment, sometime in the 14th century. An increased demand for agricultural commodities in mid-16th to early 20th centuries brought about the re-establishment of the region’s agricultural usage and improvement of the routeways. Later, as the trend towards urbanisation increased, farming declined and expanses of upland reverted back to moorland.
A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now... more A trial trench evaluation and subsequent excavation in 2014, by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now MOLA Northampton) on behalf of CgMs Consulting, on land at the former Cattle Market site, Brackmills Point, Northampton, identified a pair of pits and an isolated pit. One of the pair of pits contained a number of worked flints and debitage, dating to the early Neolithic, while charred hazelnut shell has been radiocarbon dated to the end of the early Neolithic. The site was traversed by remnant furrows of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation
Settlement and metalworking in the Middle Bronze Age and beyond: New evidence from Tremough, Cornwall
Edited by Andy M. Jones, James Gossip and Henrietta Quinnell Between 2008 and 2011 excavations we... more Edited by Andy M. Jones, James Gossip and Henrietta Quinnell Between 2008 and 2011 excavations were undertaken by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit at Tremough, near Penryn, Cornwall. The site is situated on a plateau overlooking the Carrick Roads, historically one of the busiest waterways in Cornwall. The excavations led to a large number of significant archaeological features being uncovered ranging from Neolithic pits to Bronze Age structures and late prehistoric enclosures. Foremost of these sites were a Middle Bronze roundhouse (circa 1500-1300 cal BC) and a large circular Late Bronze Age enclosure (circa 1000-800 cal BC). Importantly, the roundhouse was found to contain stone moulds associated with the production of socketed tools and pins, and traces of metalworking were found inside the building. As such, the excavations have provided the first evidence for metalworking inside a Middle Bronze Age roundhouse in southern England, as well as radiocarbon dating for a range of metalwork forms. As part of the project finds of metalwork from other roundhouses in the South West region have been reassessed. The Late Bronze Age enclosure is the first of its type to found in the South West of Britain. It encircled a large number of pits and postholes, some of which were associated with rectangular post-built structures. A carefully made cairn of burnt stone beside a large pit and a second large pit containing burnt stone and pottery were also investigated. These may have been associated with cooking or perhaps with a small-scale episode of metalworking, as the tip of a sword mould was found in one of the pits. The significance of the investigated sites is fully discussed with regard to their relationships with other prehistoric sites on the plateau and in terms of their wider context with other sites in the South West and beyond.
Late Iron Age–Romano-British Settlement at Razor's Farm, Chineham, Basingstoke
A Late Iron Age farmstead was represented by an oval ditched enclosure, subsequently cut by anoth... more A Late Iron Age farmstead was represented by an oval ditched enclosure, subsequently cut by another enclosure and together possibly forming a figure-of- eight plan, with contemporary features including a well, pits and post-holes. This was succeeded by a larger, early Roman enclosure in which lay a rectangular post-built structure and a sub-oval gully that may have been associated with a roundhouse, as well as hearths, pits, a well and a waterhole. The final mid–late Roman phase of settlement was characterised by a series of rectilinear enclosures. Although there is nothing of particular note amongst the finds and environmental assemblages, the significance of the site overall is that it provides a rare example of rural settlement of this date and duration on the Hampshire claylands, just to the south of Silchester and close to the Roman road that linked this with Chichester.
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