012AD00378 and 012AD00481

Compacted Pebble Surface

Phasing

Although the remaining surface itself was not excavated (merely cleaned for recording), three Roman sherds (including a sherd of samian) were found embedded in the surface. The material sealing the surface contained 5 Roman sherds, as well as a single Anglian sherd. 012AD00674 was the latest event, apparently a small surviving patch of a re-establishment of the surface after the deposition of layer 012AD00286. As the surfacve appeared to sink down into the ditch fill, in this case the ditch (012AD00052) was the earliest event. The surface was then cut by post hole 012AD00673.

Stratigraphic Matrix Diagram

  012AD00671                
     
012AD00672    
      012AD00674
                   
        012AD00286    =    012AD00480   
                   
            012AD00673      
                   
                   
        012AD00378    =    012AD00481   
                   
        012AD00052           

Discussion

A number of pebble surfaces were encountered during the excavation season in 1995, generally cut by enclosure ditches (and thus only visible in the sides of the ditch), although some, like this one, were partly intact. In all but one case (012AD01005), the surfaces appear to be Roman in date, as the material sealing them tends to contain relatively large numbers of exclusively Roman sherds, although here an Anglian sherd was also present in the sealing layer. This material is a hillwash, a sandy clay loam with around 20% chalk inclusions (Munsell colour varying from 10YR 3/2 to 10YR 4/3). The plan above shows the location of all of the remaining surfaces in the immediate area, together with the approximate limit of the sealing layer 012AD00286 and 012AD00480.

The surfaces were not deliberately created, rather they formed by compaction due to constant use. Although they were only found sporadically, the pattern indicates that the path was from the spring area in the south up the dry valley side towards the late Roman structure (012AF07215) to the south.

Although the post hole 012AD00673 was not directly associated with the function of the surface, it was included in this entry as there were no other post holes in the immediate vicinity. It contained an unusually high number of finds, some of which may have been derived from the material sealing the surface.

All Contexts and Associated Finds Totals

TYPE  FILL VOLUME OBJECTS AN BONE DENSITY
SEALING LAYER 012AD00286   6 1  
SURFACE 012AD00378   0 0  
SEALING LAYER 012AD00480   0 0  
SURFACE 012AD00481   3 0  
SURFACE 012AD00674 2 6

012AD00286 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID MATERIAL PERIOD No
012AD00286 POTTERY 3-4C
4
  POTTERY 4C
1
  POTTERY ANGLIAN
1

Context Details

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00286 LAYER COMPLEX
490
330
5
 FLAT LAYER OF TURFY MATERIAL REMOVED TO EXPOSE WORN PEBBLE SURFACE 378. POTTERY AND BONE FOUND. SOME CHARCOAL AND DAUB FLECKING.5% CHALK INCLUSIONS <5CMS.
012AD00378 PEBBLE SURFACE COMPLEX
490
330
3
 FLAT WORN PEBBLE SURFACE OF ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES 2-5CMS. SEALED BY LAYER 286. PROBABLY JOINS UP WITH 55. SINKS INTO DITCH 51/2 AND LINKS WITH 481.
012AD00480 LAYER COMPLEX
470
310
3
 FLAT LAYER OF TURFY MATERIAL REMOVED TO EXPOSE 481. BONE AND POTTERY FOUND WITHIN IT. = LAYER 286.
012AD00481 PEBBLE SURFACE COMPLEX
470
310
3
 FLAT WORN PEBBLE SURFACE. ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES 1-7CMS. PIECE OF SAMIAN FOUND FROM WITHIN THE SURFACE.
012AD00674 PEBBLE SURFACE COMPLEX 103 53 3 FLAT WORN PEBBLE SURFACE OF ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES 1-8CMS. NOT MUCH SURVIVING AND NOT AS WORN AS 378. 378 AND 286 SINK BELOW IT.

012AD00673 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00671 POST HOLE FILL ROUND
30
26
12
 U-SHAPED POST HOLE FILL. A LOT OF ANIMAL BONE A PIECE OF FLINT AND POT FOUND. < 5% CHALK INCLUSIONS < 5CMS. CHARCOAL BUT NO DAUB FLECKING. CUT INTO PEBBLE SURFACE.
012AD00673 POST HOLE CUT ROUND 30 26 12 U-SHAPED POST HOLE CUT. CUT INTO HILLWASH WITH 50% CHALK INCLUSIONS. ALSO CUT INTO PEBBLE SURFACE 378. U PROFILE WITH ALMOST VERTICAL S+ E EDGES BUT SHALLOWER N

Objects

KEY_ID OB PERIOD MATERIAL TYPE SUB_TYPE CLASS No
012AD00286 AA 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00286 AB 3-4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00286 AC 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00286 AD 3-4C POTTERY SHERD J ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00286 AE 4C POTTERY SHERD BD  
1
012AD00286 AF ANGLIAN POTTERY SHERDS   ANGLIAN GTW
5
012AD00481 AC 3-4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00481 AB 4C POTTERY SHERD JHUNV ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00481 AA ML2 POTTERY SHERD 31 SAMIAN
1
012AD00671 AA PREHISTORIC FLINT CORE FRAGMENT       1
012AD00671 AB 2-4C POTTERY SHERD       1

Animal Bone

KEY_ID SPECIES ELEMENT QUANT CHEW BURN BUTCH FBRK
012AD00286 Pig Tibia D 1 0 0 0 1
012AD00671 Pig Phalanx 1 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00671 Pig Tibia P 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00671 Wild/domestic goose Tibia P 1 0 0 0 1
012AD00671 Sheep Humerus D 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00671 Cattle Phalanx 1 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00671 Domestic goose Tibia D 1 0 0 0 1