West Heslerton: Anglian Settlement Structural Catalogue

011BA10008

Stream Channel Trench

Trench Details
Length	1760	Width	400	Depth	80
Material Culture	Number of Objects	114	Number of Animal Bones			220
Environmental

Phasing

Stratigraphic Matrix Diagram

Discussion

A section through the stream channel, excavated in 1991. The top soil was removed by machine and the rest was excavated by hand. The central part of the section was not completely excavated down to natural. Many layers of stream fill material were present; the sequence was very complex and not all of them were issued with context numbers. Nine ditches were identified within the layers and a further cut was issued to the modern pipe on the same alignment (011BA01007). A pebble surface (011BA01020) was also recovered, cut by ditch 011BA01027. The fills were mainly of gravel with some layers of sandy silt, sandy gravel and sandy clay and a couple of humic layers (011BA01022 and 011BA01035).

Objects from a broad date range were recovered, with 61.5% of the 114 object finds dateable. Of these, 34% were Roman, 30% Anglian (excluding a further 4.5% Middle Saxon) 25.5% Prehistoric (including single items of Bronze Age and Iron Age date), 3% Post Medieval, 1.5% of 5th Century date (a single item) and 1.5% Medieval (a single item). The ditches contained relatively little material. Where datable material was present, it tended to be from a broad date range and did not help to identify individual phases. Three of the ditches were not easily identifiable during excavation and were issued only with fill numbers (011BA01005, 011BA01008 and 011BA01016). One Middle Saxon Styca (011BA01038AB) and two Middle Saxon pins were recovered (011BA01015AB and 011BA01020AA), all from the area around the pebble surface (011BA01020). Other finds of note include a sherd of 5th Century glass (011BA01038AA) and a barbed and tanged flint arrowhead (011BA01015AA).

Although a relatively large amount of Prehistoric material was recovered, it is probably a reflection of the amount of Prehistoric activity in the area (particularly around the stream) rather than a direct relationship with the cutting of the ditches. The ditches are more likely to have originated in the Roman period and may well have continued being re-cut into the Middle Saxon period. Only one of the ditches (011BA01041) may have a continuation (011BD01043) in the section excavated by machine further south (011BD10009).

All Contexts and Associated Finds Totals

MASTER	CUT	FILL	VOLUME	OBJECTS	AN BONE	DENSITY
011BA10008		011BA01001
		011BA01003
		011BA01004
DITCH		011BA01005		2	4
		011BA01006
DITCH	011BA01007	011BA01002		3 + 9
DITCH		011BA01008		2	3
		011BA01009		2	11
		011BA01010
		011BA01011		28	81
		011BA01012
		011BA01013
		011BA01014		6	10
		011BA01015		2
DITCH		011BA01016		9
		011BA01018		2
PEBBLE SURFACE		011BA01020		16	14
		011BA01022		2	8
		011BA01023
		011BA01024			1
		011BA01025		3	1
DITCH	011BA01026	011BA01017
DITCH	011BA01027	011BA01019		1
DITCH	011BA01028	011BA01021
		011BA01029		2	16
		011BA01030		1	16
		011BA01031		1	7
		011BA01035		7	2
		011BA01036		2	5
DITCH	011BA01037	011BA01032			8
		011BA01038		7	11
		011BA01039		3	6
		011BA01040			5
DITCH	011BA01041	011BA01033		1	1
DITCH	011BA01042	011BA01034			4
		011BA01043		1
		011BA01044		1
		011BA01045		1	4
		011BA01046			2

Context Details

Stream Fill Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01001	STREAM FILL	LINEAR SEG.	1	132	8	FLAT BASED U	THIS STREAM CHANNEL FILL HAD ANIMAL BONES FINDS.
011BA01003	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	302	91	15	CONVEX	SANDY GRAVEL WITH ALMOST 80% CHALK GRAVEL DIAMETER 0.5-2.5 CM.
011BA01004	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	379	385	10	No entry	PEBBLE FILL LAYER OF STREAM CHANNEL. POSS. REDEPOSITED. EQUALS 1006. CUT BY 1005 AND 1008 WHICH MERGE INTO SINGLE DITCH.
011BA01006	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	379	385	10	No entry	PEBBLE FILL LAYER OF STREAM CHANNEL. POSS. REDEPOSITED. EQUALS 1004. CUT BY 1005 AND 1008 WHICH MERGE INTO SINGLE DITCH.
011BA01009	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	301	160	9	FLAT	THIS FILL HAD ANIMAL BONE AND QUERNSTONE FINDS.
011BA01010	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	131	25	10	No Entry	STREAM CHANNEL FILL. A GREEN DIRTY CLAY WITH 15% CHALK INCLUSIONS 1-3CM IN DIAMETER.
011BA01011	STREAM FILL	RECTANGULAR	301	360	18	FLAT	THE LAYER PRODUCED ANIMAL BONES. CHALK INCLUSIONS 15% DIAM 0.5-2 CM.
011BA01012	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	110	17	5	COMPLEX	THE LENS WAS SEALED BY 1003. NO FINDS.
011BA01013	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	301	40	8	COMPLEX	NO FINDS. SANDY CLAY WITH GRAVEL INCLUSIONS OF 50% ANGULAR. DIAM 0.5-4 CM.
011BA01014	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	301	69	9	FLAT	THERE WERE NO FINDS IN THIS FILL. CHALK INCLUSIONS 15% 0.5-2 CM DIAMETER.
011BA01015	STREAM FILL	RECTANGULAR	301	169	2	FLAT	THIS LAYER OVERLAY 4 DITCHES AND THE CUT OF THE DITCHES (01018). THERE WERE NO FINDS.
011BA01018	STREAM FILL	COMPLEX	301	104	22	COMPLEX	LIGHT IRON PAN STAINING IN PLACES OF THIS CHALKY GRAVEL LAYER. THIS LAYER LAY ABOVE 1038:1039 AND 1040.
011BA01022	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	300	100	8	No entry	FILL OF ?DITCH IN STREAM CHANNEL. FILL WITH 10% CHALK INCLUSIONS 0.5 TO 3CM IN DIAMETER. NO FURTHER RECORD IN CONTEXT BOOK.
011BA01023	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	227	31	15	FLAT BASED V	THE FILL WAS APPARENTLY CUT THROUGH BY A DITCH OR GULLY. THIS FILL IS = 1018.
011BA01024	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	110	20	15	CONVEX	THIS FILL WAS = 1023 = 1018 AND THE FULL LENGTH WAS RECORDED UNDER 1018. THIS FILL APPEARS TO BE CUT BY A SMALL DITCH.
011BA01025	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	300	150	10	No entry	FILL OF STREAM CHANNEL. NO FURTHER RECORD IN CONTEXT BOOK.
011BA01029	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	301	480	16	FLAT	THIS WAS A DARKER EARTH FEATURE SANDWICHED BETWEEN CHALK GRAVEL LAYERS.
011BA01030	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	302	152	8	FLAT	THIS SANDY CLAY LAYER HAD FINDS OF ANIMAL BONE AND OVERLAY THE 3 DITCHES 1032:1033 AND 1034.
011BA01031	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	301	40	4	FLAT	THIS GRAVEL LAYER HAD FINDS OF ANIMAL BONE ONLY.
011BA01035	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	302	120	8	FLAT	THIS LAYER CONTAINED BONE AND QUERNSTONE FRAGS.
011BA01036	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	302	170	14	FLAT	GRAVEL LAYER WITH ONLY ANIMAL BONE AND QUERN FRAG FINDS. OVERLAY BOTH 1039 AND 1040: (BOTH GRAVEL LAYERS).
011BA01038	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	302	146	7	FLAT	THIS GRAVEL LAYER WAS HALF SECTIONED TO ESTABLISH THE DEPTH OF REMAINING DEPOSIT: ALONG WITH 1039 AND 1040. CONTAINED MID SAX COIN.
011BA01039	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	302	35	12	FLAT	THE SANDY GRAVEL LAYER CONTAINED ONLY ANIMAL BONES.
011BA01040	LAYER	RECTANGULAR	303	235	14	FLAT	SANDY GRAVEL LAYER THAT CONTAINED ANIMAL BONES AND QUERN FRAGS.
011BA01043	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	128	49	13	VERT.SIDE U.BASE	CLAY FILL WITH LARGE CHALK GRAVEL INC (25% 1.5-3. 0 CM DIAM). ONLY FINDS WERE SNAIL (1): BONE (1).
011BA01044	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	132	64	14	WIDE V	THIS SANDY FILL HAD CHALK INC 15% 1-2 CM DIAM ALSO FIND OF BLACK FLINT AND ANIMAL BONE.
011BA01045	GRAVEL LAYER	LINEAR	132	527	11	FLAT	THIS SANDY GRAVEL LAYER HAD ANIMAL BONES AND NIED LAVA FRAG.
011BA01046	STREAM FILL	LINEAR	302	210	10	No entry	FILL OF STREAM CHANNEL. CLAY LOAM WITH GRAVEL INCLUSIONS. LARGE ANIMAL BONE FINDS.

Features

011BA01007 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01002	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	301	71	25	FLAT BASED V	THIS DITCH WAS REMOVED IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH WHERE THE POST-MEDIEVAL PIPELINE WAS RUNNING. POSSIBLY A LATER RECUT OF THE PIPELINE.
011BA01007	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	317	75	20	ROUND BASED	THIS IS A RELATIVELY MODERN POST-MEDIEVAL PIPELINE. FINDS INCLUDED GREENGLAZE POTTERY SHERDS.

011BA01005 Notes (no cut number issued)

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01005	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	301	69	20	U-SHAPED	THIS DITCH SEGMENT MERGES WITH 1008: AND IS CUT BY 1004. FINDS WERE ANIMAL BONE.

011BA01008 Notes (no cut number issued)

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01008	DITCH FILL	LINEAR SEG.	120	36	8	U-SHAPED	THE DITCH RUNS INTO 1005: BUT THE RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH. FINDS WERE ANIMAL BONE.

011BA01016 Notes (no cut number issued)

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01016	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	227	31	15	FLAT BASED V	THE DITCH CUT APPEARS TO CONSIST OF TWO DIFERENT CONTEXTS: SHOWING IT WAS CUT INTO AN EARLIER FILL.

011BA01020 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01020	PEBBLE SURFACE	LINEAR	301	241	14	COMPLEX	THE MUNSELL COLOUR MAY BE INFLUENCED BY IRON PANNING. SAXON COIN: ANGLIAN GLASS AND TWO PIECES OF BRONZE FOUND.

011BA01026 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01017	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	63	20	2	CONCAVE	THIS WAS A VERY SHALLOW FEATURE AND THUS WAS GIVEN THE PROFILE CONCAVE. THERE WERE NO FINDS.
011BA01026	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	63	20	2	CONCAVE	THE REMNANTS OF THIS CUT WERE VERY SLIGHT AND WERE GIVEN THE PROFILE CONCAVE.

011BA01027 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01019	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	148	30	6	U-SHAPED	THE DITCH APPEARS TO TRUNCATE NEAR THE CENTRE OF THE TRENCH BUT MAY CONTINUE IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION.
011BA01027	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	140	30	6	U-SHAPED	MEDIUM SANDY GRAVEL WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF DISSOLVED CHALK.

011BA01028 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01021	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	208	27	3	U-SHAPED	THIS DITCH WAS DIFFICULT TO PROFILE BECAUSE OF THE SHALLOWNESS OF THE DITCH.
011BA01028	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	208	27	3	U-SHAPED	THE REMNANTS OF A SMALL LINEAR DITCH IN THE STREAM CHANNEL.

011BA01037 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01032	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	302	43	15	V-SHAPED	THIS DITCH APPEARS TO BE CUT BY 1034: ALTHOUGH THE RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH.
011BA01037	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	302	43	15	V-SHAPED	THIS WAS CUT INTO THE NATURAL GREEN CLAY.

011BA01041 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01033	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	305	44	23	V-SHAPED	THIS DITCH APPEARS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH 1032 AND 1034: BUT IF THEY ARE CONTEMPERANEOUS OR NOT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY.
011BA01041	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	305	44	23	V-SHAPED	CUT OF DITCH IN STREAM CHANNEL. CUT INTO NATURAL CLAY.

011BA01042 Notes

KEY_ID	TYPE	SHAPE	L	B	D	PROFILE	NOTES
011BA01034	DITCH FILL	LINEAR	131	25	10	U-SHAPED	FILL OF DITCH IN STREAM CHANNEL. APPEARS TO CUT FILLS 1032 AND 1033. NO FURTHER RECORD IN CONTEXT BOOK.
011BA01042	DITCH CUT	LINEAR	131	25	10	U-SHAPED	DITCH CUT. APPEARS TO CUT DITCH 1032/1033.