Dig Report 1 (Part 2)

Part 2.

TR02-5 section north to south                                                                                                                         Figure: 05.

Context 5 This is an extension of the trench eastwards and the three stratigraphical layers found in contexts 1,2 and 3 apply for colour and soil type. However, the 1mt x 600mm extension exposed the remains of a hearth. With heat discoloured stones, furnace waste, charcoal and some potsherds found. A large decoloured stone appeared to have striations as if struck by a sharp metal edge and it is speculated the large hearth edge stone mentioned in Context 3 above was from the south of this striated stone, see Figure 07 above and plate 05 above. Colour 2.5Y 4/2 dark grey brown.

                  Scale =200mm                                                                                     Figure:06.

North section of TR02 with possible cut; not clear it continued northwards. See also figure 06 above for section in plan.

                                                                                                               Scale =1.5mts.                                  Figure: 07.  

Line of section Figure 06 above Natural bedrock reddened by heat at D-560mm

TR05 and part of TR02 note. Fire Hearth and Cross section Plate.05 position. 

TR05 hearth edge stone                                                                                                         Plate: 04.

TR05 Possible Fire Hearth                                              Plate: 05.

TR06

Contexts 01 Layer 1, including turf and topsoil is between 150 and 180mm deep, the bottom of which consists of a 19^th century field-dressing layer within 40 mm of topsoil; Colour 10YR2/1 black.

Context 02 Layer 2 is 50mm to 100 mm of stone (possibly from demolition) and poorer quality clay/sandy loam. Few finds in this layer dating medieval or earlier but mainly 19^th century waste included in field dressing, for example, clay pipe and pottery fragments; Colour 10Y3/1 very dark grey. 

Context 03 is essentially a 500mm x 1mt sondage in the north half of the test pit. This stratigraphic layer was different from others in that it contained useful building stone but along with all possible masonry there appears to be no mortar. The overriding impression is of a filled in pit with redeposited natural material with no intention to be structural. Colour 2.5Y 4/2 dark grey brown.

Context 04 is very similar to Context 3, the soil samples appear the same in colour and content but with less charcoal, bone fragments and the like within it.

Colour 2.5Y 4/2 dark grey brown.

TR06 contexts                           Scale= 200mm                                                                                               Figure:07.

TR06 test pit plan view                                                    Plate: 06.

Appendix 4

Artefacts

In Context 1, across the site dug so far due to there numerous nature, as yet uncounted, 19^th century artefacts were found This is mainly from a field-dressing layer thought to be the base of ancient ploughing see Plate 07 below. The field dressing is thought to be from burning general detritus then spreading to dispose of it. It consisted of china fragments clearly exposed to severe heat, garden potsherds, wrought iron nails, charcoal, fragments of coal, ash and the like; Only a typical selection of this material was collected as so much was present the remainder was left in situ.

Typical selection of Context 1finds in TR02 to TR06                     Plate: 07.

Stone Finds.

Several stone object have been identified as possible artifacts.

-  Sandstone pieces that may have been roof tiles. See plate 08 below

TR02 Typical of Sandstone fragments found in all trenches. Plate:08.

- Possible loom weights fragments including one piece with a nail hole loop, see plate 09 below.

 Tr02 Possibly top of loom weight                                          Plate 09.

-Stone artifacts also include the local limestone used in high temperature situations, possibly for cooking hearths and metalworking; this manifests as red discolouration in the outer stone surface. See plate 5 above.

-Potboilers have been identified; although some seem small for this purpose they do show typical delamination.

-A very smooth stone approx. 40mm in diameter was uncovered in TR04, which is assumed a slingshot stone.

-Finally bivalve mollusc fossils that have been found removed from stones have. It is speculated these are possibly curios or pilgrims or visitors souvenirs. Found in our earliest contexts.  See plate 10 below.

Trenches TR02and 03 fossilized bivalve molluscs       Plate: 10.

It has proven very difficult to identify any particular structure due to the large amount of rubble scattered within all the trenches dug; for further discussion see below.

Ceramics

Date range is difficult to ascertain with any certainty.

Notable artefacts are as follows.

TR04A rough and friable courseware potsherd               Plate: 11.

Potsherd displaying similar qualities to early Oxford ware Plate: 12.

 TR02 Rouletted potsherd                                                     Plate: 13.

TR02Combed ware                                                               Plate: 14.

- Medieval Ham Green ware, there are numerous Ham Green potsherds, these could all of course form a single large pot. This type can be accurately dated to AD 1100 to AD1250. See Plate: 15 below.

TR02 and 05 Ham Green ware                                         Plate: 15.

At the point of publication, after AD1250 there a long gap to the 19^th Century field-dressing artefact described above.

Using just pottery recovered, as of the publication date of this report, our date range is possibly Bronze or Iron Age to AD 1350. The majority of our potsherd finds however, according to David Dawson, of Well’s Museum are late Saxo Norman to Late Medieval.

Metal Artifacts

Wrought Iron

In total there are over 120 pieces of wrought iron. To give a flavour of the finds notable items in possible chronological are listed below.

- A stocking clip possibly Mid Saxon period.

- 50 fiddle Key nails in a wide range of condition and use Mid Saxon to Saxo-Norman.

- Byzantine style handle with one mounting loop, possibly for side mounting to a bowl. Dating is very difficult but its condition and the context it was found in suggest Saxo Norman.

- Pair of Prick Spurs with pyramidal goads, very well made with tapering D section prongs to riveted leather strap mounts still intact; possibly tin coated.   Dated AD 1000 to AD 1150, Saxo Norman.

- Two knife blades have been identified with a typical Saxon shape in section and plan. Part of a bone handle has been found but it is unclear if this belongs to either blade. One the blade’s was broken in two pieces and found separately, which may indicate previous digging and re depositing. Possibly Saxo-Norman

There are 8 wrought iron artefacts that appear manufactured with a high level of skill, but their use cannot be identified.

Wrought iron finds                                                          Plate: 16.

Possible Saxo Norman spurs                                        Plate: 17.

Knife blades and bone handle                                        Plate: 18.

Copper Alloy

To date there are 7 copper alloy artifacts in total. 

- A pyramidal stud possibly mounted on a scabbard or equestrian leather ware. Undated.

- Part of a pair of tweezers. Appears to have fragments of tin-plating in situ.

- Stud mount, with some tin-plating surviving. Tin corrosion oxide evident but with some surfaces having retained its tin-plating.  Two fragments of blue enamel are attached; also it does appear that some of the bradding pattern is also intact on the decorative face. Push in stud still intact on the reverse side. This has been dated British Romano AD 100 to AD 350.

- Possible book clasp with a heraldic saltire pattern embossed.

- Low Status Belt End, approx. 25mm by 25mm with three rivets still attached. Three rivets are still in place indicating it may have been buried still attached to the leather of the belt. .

- Middle status? Strap End with zoomorphic decoration on one surface possibly a serpent or dragon’s head and neck.  Dated AD 800 to AD 1000.See Plate: 17 above..

TR02 and TR04 Copper Alloy finds.                             Plate: 19.

TR02 Cooper Alloy Stud 1st to 3^rd Century                       Plate: 20.

20^th Century finds include Second World War shrapnel; research shows most likely from an ‘Ack Ack’ battery stationed on the A46 near Little Sodbury. A similar piece was found approximately 100mtres north west of the Glebe Field near the church during a metal detecting survey 2021 near St. Anne’s Church. See Plate: 21below.

Second World War shrapnel                Plate: 21.

Bone

To date we have approximately 500 bone fragments. All those examined by an osteoarchaeology expert have been identified as animal bone mainly Bovine, Porcine, Ovine and a few very small poultry bones.

One long bone, a bovine Tibia and Fibula stood out from the others. It was complete and only broken post burial. It had one small butchery mark alone to the distal end of the tibia. This all indicates burial as a whole joint. This is currently being carbon dated; it is also of great interest as it was buried directly underneath the pair of spurs mentioned above in wrought iron. See Plate 18 above.

TR02 Tibia and Fibula.                                                 Plate: 22.

Structures

To date we have 5no possible postholes in TR02 2no in trench TR04 and 1no in TR06.  Most of these are speculative however, shown in plate 19 below the two ‘blue circled’ possible posthole bases within TR02 measure within millimetres of being perfectly level.

TR02 and 05 possible posthole alignments                             Plate: 23.

See also Figure 07 above. The first posthole uncovered on the 18^th June 2021 appeared to have hot work smelting slag poured into it, see plate 20 above. As a section of the posthole was attempted a blade 94 mm long was recovered, due to shape and section this at the moment is dated Saxo- Norman.

                                                                                                                                  Figure 24.

                                                                                                                                   Figure 25.

Hot poured furnace waste in possible posthole. Figures: 24 & 25.

A possible alignment of postholes can be see in plate: 19 above, also within trench TR02 speculation is of a grubenhaus as the holes appear to be on an angle, for more details. See section Figure 07 above. However, due to the very stony nature of the trenches all but the possibly post hole dug on 18th June 2021 could be artifacts of the process of digging and be false and will need more work to verify. 

Trenches TR02 and TR03 and TR05 have a large spread of stone that diminishes either side of the highest point of the shallow mound. This stone is not smoothed on its upper surface as be expected of a metaled track surface. Neither is the quality good enough as would be expected for building stone. There is no sign of mortar on stone surface or loose in the surrounding contexts. Also there are stone fragments that have been exposed to extreme heat. So the working hypothesis at the moment is of a possible drystone wall structure demolished and robbed out the remainder levelled and eventually covered over with soil morphologically or by hand.

The position of Trench TR04 was chosen for its low resistance response. This was by and large proven correct with much less stone evident however; in context 04 on the east side of the trench what appeared to be redeposited stone. See Plate 03 above.

The position of TR06 was chosen, as it appeared to be on the corner of a rectilinear shape shown on the resistivity survey; it has a high resistance response.  Again this was extremely stony backfill with some good quality building stone within it, which stood it apart from TR02, 03 and 05. The indication that it may be a possibly structure, it was our deepest pit at over 900 mm below ground level and due to rising water levels the natural was not located.