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Trench 4 was one of three trenches planned to evaluate the site on the hilltop. Trenches 1 and 3 were not dug in the end, because we didn't have the time. It was positioned to evaluate a linear magnetic anomaly interpreted as a ditch. The probable ditch formed part of an approximately rectilinear system and had therefore been linked in the interpretation of the geophysical survey with the occurrence of Roman pottery, to suggest a Roman age for this part of the site.
The ditch proved to be rather more complicated than anticipated, although it could not be completely excavated in the time available. The upper layers of the ditch proved to be a stoney dark silt ([407] and [409]), bearing iron slag and Roman pottery. There was a substantial oval feature, marked by a heavy stone fill [408], probably forming a southern termination for the stoney ditch deposit, but possibly dug through it. If the oval feature was part of the late ditch fill, then it may suggest that the ditch was partially redug, leaving a causeway in the area of the southern part of the trench. Lower deposits in the ditch contained less pottery, but all was Roman. Iron slag occurred to the very base.
The area to the east of the ditch had a deeper dark soil profile than the area to the west, and this dark soil had a high magnetic susceptibility. Shortage of time meant this aspect of the trench was not fully investigated.
To the west of the ditch two features were identified. The first was a small posthole, revealed as a pair of dark silt areas below [401]. Successive stages in the removal of the fill and packing of this hole are shown in Figures 1-3 below. The second feature was a rather amorphous feature with a dark (organic?) fill and large stones revealed cutting the upper deposits of the ditch. Although initially thought to be a post hole, the dark deposit had various tubular extensions, suggesting that the whole feature may have either been from a root mass, or from an animal hole.
number | description |
|---|---|
401 | topsoil/ploughsoil (pottery) |
402 | brown silty soil over E part of trench, in part base of 401 (pottery) |
403 | brown soil in p/h |
404 | p/h cut |
405 | small hole fill |
406 | disturbed natural in p/h |
407 | dark stoney silts in ditch sag (pottery) |
408 | upper stone fill of pit feature (pottery) |
409 | stoney fill in top of ditch (pottery) |
410 | more yellow silts below 409, down to 70cm (pottery) |
411 | stoney yellow silts 70-120 cm, gravel-rich at base (pottery) |
412 | grey silts with charcoal lying on gravelly/sandy primary silt (pottery) |
413 | ditch cut |
414 | organic material in possible p/h |
415 | brown silty clay in possible p/h |
See 2002 Pottery Evaluation Report
Figure 1. Posthole after removal of topsoil [401]. North at top.
Figure 2. Posthole after removal of dark silts [403] and [405].
Figure 3. Posthole after removal of packing [406], revealing the shape of the cut [404].
Figure 4. View W across Trench 4 after removal of topsoil [401] and an additional cleaning layer [402] from the eastern part of the trench. The ditch shows as a darker area (silt [407]), with the stones of the oval feature [408] nad those in the ditch proper [409], showing around the edges.
Figure 5. View looking NNW along ditch at same level as Figure 4.
Figure 6. View as Figure 5 after removal of dark silt [407] from ditch top. The stoney fill of the oval feature [408] shows as a markedly more continuous layer than the stones in the ditch to the north [409].
Figure 7. View as Figure 5 after removal of [408] from the oval feature and the digging of the section across the ditch on the north edge of the trench.
Figure 8. View looking NNW of the ditch section. The dark silts with stones of contexts [407] and [409] are markedly different from the yellower silty deposits lower in the ditch. A darker silt with abundant charcoal lies 25-30cm above the base of the ditch.