West Heslerton Anglian Settlement Catalogue: Quarry Pit 11AE 127

011AE00127

Quarry Pit

Phasing

The quarry pit is assigned a Roman date, with only Roman pottery found in the fills of the feature.

Stratigraphic Sequence Diagram

Discussion

The feature was initially thought to be a large pit or Grubenhaus, but excavation proved this to be a red/pink chalk quarry pit. The pit undercut the surface area in a number of places, apparently following the pink chalk seam. The pit contained 55 objects, of which 31 were sherds of pottery. Of these, 24 were Roman sherds and 7 were unassigned. None of the other finds were diagnostic, apart from the two residual flint flakes. Only 2 identifiable animal bones were recovered. Of the 15 fills noted during excavation, 7 were of redeposited natural, probably collapse of the sides into the pit, alternatively, they may be unwanted chalk thrown back into the pit.

All Contexts and Associated Finds Totals

CUT	FILL	VOLUME	OBJECTS	AN BONE	DENSITY
011AE00127	011AE00126		14	1
	011AE00132
	011AE00133		27
	011AE00172		9
	011AE00206
	011AE00226
	011AE00227		1
	011AE00228
	011AE00342
	011AE00343		4
	011AE00349
	011AE00350
	011AE00351
	011AE00352
	011AE00358			1
	011AE00359

011AE00126 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID	PERIOD	MATERIAL	No
011AE00126		FIRED CLAY	1
011AE00126		IRON	2
011AE00126	Unassigned	POTTERY	1
011AE00126		SNAIL	3
011AE00126	Unassigned	DAUB	1
011AE00126	PREHISTORIC	FLINT	1
011AE00126	ROMAN	POTTERY	5

011AE00133 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID	PERIOD	MATERIAL	No
011AE00133		IRON	1
011AE00133	Unassigned	POTTERY	4
011AE00133		SNAIL	6
011AE00133	ROMAN	POTTERY	16

011AE00172 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID	PERIOD	MATERIAL	No
011AE00172	Unassigned	POTTERY	2
011AE00172		SNAIL	1
011AE00172		STONE	3
011AE00172	PREHISTORIC	FLINT	1
011AE00172	ROMAN	POTTERY	2

011AE00227 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID	PERIOD	MATERIAL	No
011AE00227	ROMAN	POTTERY	1

011AE00343 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID	PERIOD	MATERIAL	No
011AE00343	ROMAN	POTTERY	4

Structural Details

011AE00127 Sections and Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011AE00126	PIT FILL	OVATE	330	240	40	U-SHAPED	UPPER FILL OF CHALK QUARRY LOC IN W.AE.INC LARGE 0.5-15CM CHALK PINK/WHITE. DITCH 121 SEEMS TO CUT QUARRY PIT. THIS ONLY SEEN AFTER EXC.
011AE00127	PIT CUT	OVATE	330	240	157	U-SHAPED	CUT OF QUARRY PIT LOCATED IN W 11AE. UNDERCUT ON N-S AXIS TO FOLLOW PINK CHALK SEAM THUS INTERPRETED AS A CHALK QUARRY FOR PINK CHALK.
011AE00132	PIT FILL	OVATE	52	48	10	CONCAVE	POSS REDEPOSITED NATURAL WITHIN PIT AT W.END OF AE.FILL CONFINED TO NE QUAD.INC LARGE 0 .5-10CM UP TO 80% OF FILL CHALK INCLUSIONS.
011AE00133	PIT FILL	OVATE	330	240	34	CONCAVE	PIT FILL LOCATED IN W.AE.FILL DARK CONTAINING RELATIVLY FEW INC .5-2CM.FINDS OF BONE POT AND ONE PIECE OF IRON.
011AE00172	PIT FILL	OVATE	330	196	22	CONCAVE	FILL OF PIT LOC IN W.AE. FEW FINDS. CHALK THROUGHT 0.5-4CM. MOST INC 0 .5 MAKING THE MAJORITY OF THE FILL.C/COAL FLECKS THROUGHOUT.
011AE00206	REDEP. NATURAL	OVATE	106	62	2200	CONCAVE	FILL OF REDEPOSITED PINK CHALK.NO FINDS. LOOKS AS THOUGH IT HAS COLLAPSED FROM THE SIDES.
011AE00226	PIT FILL	UNCLEAR	68	77	26	U-SHAPED	PIT FILL WITHIN PIT IN W.AE.FINDS OF BONE AND POT.ORIG TAKEN OUT SEPERATELY AS 342 WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE CUT. FILL QUITE DARK. INC .5-3CM CHALK FEW.
011AE00227	REDEP. NATURAL	UNCLEAR	65	31	13	IRREGULAR	REDEPOSITED NATURAL FILL WITHIN PIT TO W.END OF AE.FILL GIVEN NO AFTER 226 WAS DUG. THIS IS WHY IT =349. NO FINDS.
011AE00228	REDEP. NATURAL	OVATE	95	18	39	IRREGULAR	LAYER OF CHALK GRAVEL DEPOSITED ON N SIDE OF PIT LOC IN W.AE.NO FINDS.MIXED UP WITH SOIL 10YR43.ANIMAL ATN TO N.
011AE00342	REDEP. NATURAL	OVATE	310	190	35	U-SHAPED	REDEPOSITED NATURAL WITHIN PIT AT W.END OF AE. NO FINDS.SLUMP OF PINK CHALK PROBABLY ERODED FROM SIDES. CLEAN IN COMPARISON TO 206.
011AE00343	PIT FILL	OVATE	330	133	26	IRREGULAR	DARK HUMIC FILL WITHIN PIT TO W END AE.FINDS OF BONE AND POT. INC FEW 0.5-3CM CHALK.SEEMS TO SLOPE IN FROM N.
011AE00349	REDEP. NATURAL	OVATE	225	122	9	CONCAVE	REDEPOSITED NATURAL WITHIN PIT AT W.END AE.PROB SLUMP FROM CUT.NO FINDS.THOUGHT TO BE CUT FOR A TIME.SEEMS TO BE DEPOSITED FROM S.
011AE00350	REDEP. NATURAL	UNCLEAR	132	201	14	CONCAVE	PROB REDEPOSITED NATURAL WITHIN PIT AT W.END OF AE.NO FINDS.LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER SLUMPAGE OF THE SIDES.
011AE00351	REDEP. NATURAL	OVATE	53	25	10	CONCAVE	SMALL PATCH OF REDEPOSITED NATURAL WITHIN PIT LOC IN W.AE.NO FINDS.SLIGHTLY DIRTY WITH SOIL 10YR43. NO FINDS.
011AE00352	PIT FILL	OVATE	52	41	5	CONCAVE	SMALL LENS OF MATERIAL LOCATED IN W END OF PIT LOC IN W.AE. FEW FINDS THOSE MAINLY BONE. INC .5-2CM CHALK.
011AE00353	NATURAL	LINEAR	54	33	40	CONCAVE	AREA OF NATURALURAL REMOVED WITHIN NE QUAD TO ENABLE THE UNDERCUT AREA OF THIS QUADRANT TO BE SAFELY EXCAVATED.
011AE00358	PIT FILL	UNCLEAR	84	48	23	CONCAVE	FILL OF PIT LOC IN W.AE.CONFINED TO N SIDE.FINDS OF BONE. INC CHALK 0.5-4CM. SEEMS TO BE DEPOSITED FROM NORTH.
011AE00359	PIT FILL	OVATE	330	196	15	CONCAVE	FILL IN PIT LOC IN W.AE.DUMPED WITHIN N SIDE.DARK IN COMPARISON TO REST. INC 0.5-3CM CHALK.

Objects by Context

KEY_ID	OBCODE	PERIOD	MATERIAL	TYPE	SUB_TYPE	CLASS	No
011AE00126	AA	PREHISTORIC	FLINT	FLAKE			1
011AE00126	AB	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00126	AC	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00126	AD	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00126	AE	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00126	AF	Unassigned	FIRED CLAY	FIRED CLAY			1
011AE00126	AG	Unassigned	IRON	IRON OBJECT	KNIFE?		1
011AE00126	AH	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00126	AI	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00126	AJ	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00126	AK	Unassigned	IRON	IRON FRAGMENT			1
011AE00126	AL	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMAN/MED	1
011AE00126	AM	ANGLIAN	DAUB	DAUB			1
011AE00126	AN	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			4
011AE00133	AA	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00133	AB	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AC	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMAN	1
011AE00133	AD	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AE	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00133	AF	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00133	AG	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMAN	1
011AE00133	AH	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AI	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMAN	1
011AE00133	AJ	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AK	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		SAMIAN	1
011AE00133	AL	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00133	AM	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00133	AN	Unassigned	IRON	IRON NAIL?			1
011AE00133	AO	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AP	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERDS		ROMAN?	2
011AE00133	AQ	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AR	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00133	AS	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00133	AT	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00133	AU	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00133	AV	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00133	AW	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00133	AX	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00133	AY	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00133	AZ	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00133	BA	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00172	AA	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH?	1
011AE00172	AB	Unassigned	STONE	STONE		SANDSTONE	1
011AE00172	AC	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00172	AD	Unassigned	POTTERY	SHERD			1
011AE00172	AE	Unassigned	SNAIL	SNAIL SAMPLE			1
011AE00172	AF	Unassigned	STONE	STONE		RED CHALK	1
011AE00172	AG	Unassigned	STONE	STONE			1
011AE00172	AH	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1
011AE00172	AI	PREHISTORIC	FLINT	BLADE			1
011AE00227	AA	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00343	AA	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00343	AB	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00343	AC	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		GREY WARE	1
011AE00343	AD	ROMAN	POTTERY	SHERD		ROMANO-BRITISH	1

Animal Bone by Context

KEY_ID	SPECIES	ELEMENT	QUANT	CHEW	BURN	BUTCH	FBRK
011AE00126	PIG	Ld4	1	0	0	0	1
011AE00358	SHEEP/GOAT	Pelvis	1	0	0	0	1