Dig Report 4
Interim Dig Report 4
Trench 10 Test Pit
Plate 01: Zillah, Olya and Rocket Dog busy with Test Pit TR 10
Author: David .W. Savage BA Honours Humanities with History (Open University) MA Archaeology (University of Bristol) Certificate Humanities (Open University)
Dig Report 4 is to collate all material relating to Test Pit Trench 10 east Glebe Field
Contents page
1.
Summary and Research Question 3
2.
Trench 4
3.
Stratification 10
4.
Conclusion 10
5.
Future objectives 11
6. Acknowledgements 11
List
of plates
Number
page
01 Site view looking
south 1
02 Drone vertical
image 3
03 Base of context 03 6
04 Potsherd 7
05 Animal long bone 7
06 Base of context 02
contained majority of finds 8
07Medieval potsherds
from context 02 9
08Bloomary slag for
context 02 9
09Asemblage from
context 01 mainly 19th& 20th Century 10
List of figures
Number page
01 Resistivity survey 4
02 Resistivity survey 4
03 Sketch Plan and Section 5
1.
Summary and Research Question
From lidar,
aerial photography, and comprehensive geophysical surveying of the east Glebe
Field. A small structure size anomaly became the centre of focus for future
investigation. In the short term it was decided a test pit would be useful to
establish the nature of the anomaly and if any dating material could be
found. The position of this ‘test pit’ was
chosen due to the contrasts of resistivity responses, also that it was over
what appeared to be the corner of the anomaly. The finds include approximately
30 medieval potsherds, bloomery furnace slag and heat affected limestone. Also
a possible foundation of compacted small stones and gravel aligning with the
high resistivity response seen on the geophysical survey, see Figure 1 and
Plate 3 below. The test pit confirmed medieval presence in this area of the
field and that a larger trench would be worthwhile.
Plate 02: East Glebe Field with Trench 10 Note: land drain parch marks.
2. Trench and its Contexts
Figure 04: Sketch plan and section of Trench 10
Plate03: Plan image of TR10, Context 04 natural clay layer in northwest corner
and Context 03 remainder of trench including compacted rubble on east side.
Note:
The base of the trench is 71.082mts. ‘Above sea level’ and is approximately 600mm
below surrounding ground level. Datum no. 4(D4) adjacent to the brook running
through the centre of the Glebe Field is 72.802 mts. ‘a s l’; the base of TR10
was measured at 1.720 mts. below D4.
Context 04: The natural stratum is at D4
minus 1.720mts with no artefacts or disturbance found. The material is possibly
hillwash as a mix of clay, sandy soil and gravel was found and was a light
brown to green colour, see Plate03.
Context 03: The cusp between 04 and 03 was established at D4minus 1.590mts. and rising up to D4minus 1.387 mts. , the clay is heavy, dry and very dark grey/green in colour. In this context three medieval potsherds (see plate 04) animal bone (see plate 05) were found. It was notable fewer artefacts were found in this context and was roughly level with the base of the compacted foundation.
Plate04: unusual tempering
Plate05: Largely complete animal long bone.
Unusual as most found broken open for marrow extraction.
Context 02 was from D4 minus 1.387mts. rising
up to D4 minus 1.237 mts. , which is
the layer where the majority of medieval
potsherds were found, see plate06 below, which shows the base of context 02 and
plate 07 for potsherds found in this context. Also in this context nine pieces
of bloomery slag were found, for the largest and most unusual of these see
plate 08. This layer is a mid grey to brown colour subsoil containing angular
pebbles 30mm to 5mm in size. Consistent with most other areas dug within the
Glebe field.
Plate 06: Base of context 02, layer where most potsherds were found.
Plate07: Potsherds from context02. Some with mild abrasion, no green glaze ware and mostly appear to be sub hard courseware with a few soft vesicular pieces.
Context 01. The cusp between Context O2 and 01 on the north side of the test pit rose from D4 minus 1,237 mts. to ground level at D4 minus 1,095Mts. Within this Context late 18th to early 20th century field dressing and waste material artefacts were found. This is general waste from bonfires and then spread upon the ground, see plate 09 below. This is typical of all trenches dug within the Glebe Field. This layer is similar also in terms of it being topsoil very dark grey in colour loamy and containing humus
Plate 09: Assemblage from Context 01.
3. Stratification
As with all other trench dug to date within the Glebe Field, below the 18th to 20th Century field dressing layer roughly at the base of the topsoil medieval artefacts are abundant. The subsoil contained redeposited loose sandy clay and limestone gravel containing bone and further medieval potsherds and once through this layer a compacted rubble stone anomaly was revealed, see Fig.03. above. Its purpose is not clear but it aligns well with the restively survey and continues northwards, see Fig. 03. above. The anomaly has both a high resistivity and high magnetometry responses so a burnt down structure is a possibility, and so an evaluation trench would be worthwhile.
5. Future objectives
1. Carry out an evaluation trench across the centre of the
anomaly probably west to east.
2. Investigate any relationship between the ditch running east to west to the south side of the test pit and anomaly.
6. Acknowledgements
- Alex Christofides
alexchristofides@hotmail.com
Drone imagery and digital 3D modelling
- Community Archaeology on the Mendip Plateau (CAMP)
Contact: Pip Osbourne https://www.camp-plateau.co.uk/home
Services: Pottery typology,
artifact dating
- Mary Lennox, David Lambie
and Mary Knight for Geophysical Surveying.
- Shared Past
Contact: Penny Lock https://sharedpast.org/
Services: Community group
organisation and technical advice.