Trench 13AB highlighted in red

Site 13 Trench AB

Area 0.011 hectare  Excavated 1995

Discussion

This trench, along with 13AA and 13AC, was excavated by machine on the 3rd August 1995. It was sited specifically to investigate the unusual rectilinear anomaly seen on the geophysical survey Detail view of rectilinear anomaly  data. As it happened, the anomaly was caused by a number of recuts (at least 3, 013AB00020, 013AB00008 and 013AB00010) of the feature, the southern and western part of which was in turn cut by one of the boundary ditches (itself in two phases, 013AB00017 and 013AB00018).

The northern return of the rectilinear feature contained 4 Anglian potsherds as well as a fragment of Roman glass. The function of the feature remains elusive, although a trench in the field to the east (see above), immediately to the east of the field boundary (012AD05006) revealed that the deep ditches did not extend this far. The implication is that the ditch either stops, or forms a square with the return under the current field boundary. It was only in the northern excavated segment of the feature that a clear sequence of recuts was revealed, with the initial phase (013AB00020) being recut firstly by ditch (013AB00008 ) and then by ditch (013AB00010). Neither of these recuts contained diagnostic finds.

The east-west aligned ditch (013AB00019) in the northern part of the trench contained no objects or animal bones. Removal of the fill revealed a post hole (013AB00013) in the base of the ditch, again containing no finds. Although not directly ascertained from the excavated segment, it is likely that this is another of the long sweeping boundary ditches which extend to the north before turning east to head towards the stream channel.

The NW-SE aligned ditch at the south western edge of the trench proved to cut through the rectilinear feature, and was itself the result of an initial ditch (013AB00017) recut by ditch (013AB00018 ). No finds were recovered from either phase, the relative sequence seen stratigraphically in section only. This ditch was aligned exactly where the geophysical survey indicated a linear anomaly, and as such can be interpreted as one of the western boundary ditches of the settlement.

Stratigraphic Matrix

Context Details

Spit 013AB00001 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00001 SPIT RECTANGULAR 1700  650  20    MACHINE CLEARANCE OF AREA 13AB

Ditch 013AB00008 Section and Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00007 DITCH  FILL LINEAR 219 46 16 FLAT BASED U CONTAINED 2 PIECES OF POTTERY AND ANIMAL BONE. SOIL MATRIX CONTAINED A HIGH PROPORTION OF PINK CHALK.
013AB00008 DITCH CUT LINEAR 219 46 16 FLAT BASED U CUT INTO PINK CHALK. REGULAR PROFILE. CUT BY SLOT 9/10.

Ditch 013AB00010 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00009 DITCH FILL LINEAR 345 63 22 FLAT BASED V CONTAINED ANIMAL BONE ONLY. SOIL MATRIX CONTAINED A MIXED PINK CHALK.
013AB00010 DITCH CUT LINEAR 345 63 22 FLAT BASED V CUT INTO PINK CHALK. REGULAR PROFILE. CUTS SLOT 7/8.

Post Hole 013AB00013 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00012 POST HOLE FILL ROUND 47 48 24 U-SHAPED CONTAINED ONLY ONE ANIMAL BONE FIND. CHALK INC 5% 0.5-2 CM IN DIAMETER.
013AB00013 POST HOLE CUT ROUND 47 48 24 U-SHAPED CUT INTO ANGULAR WHITE CHALK. REGULAR STRAIGHT NORTHERN EDGE WITH A LIP HALF WAY DOWN SOUTHERN SIDE. UNDER DITCH 6/19.

Ditch 013AB00015 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00003 DITCH FILL LINEAR 541 215 10 V-SHAPED CONTAINED ANIMAL BONE AND POTTERY. CHALK INC LESS THAN 5% 0.5-1 CM IN DIAMETER. SOME FINDS LIFTED UNDER THIS NUMBER SHOULD HAVE GONE UNDER 14.
013AB00014 DITCH FILL LINEAR 541 215 44 V-SHAPED CONTAINED ANIMAL BONE ONLY. CHALK INCLUSIONS 5% 0.5-4 CM IN DIAMETER SOME OF WHICH SHOWED EVIDENCE OF IRON-PANNING. SOME FINDS LIFTED UNDER CTXT 3.
013AB00015 DITCH CUT LINEAR 541 215 54 V-SHAPED CUT INTO ANGULAR WHITE CHALK. IRREGULAR BASE DENOTING MULTIPLE CUTS. MEASURED TO WEST EDGE OF TRNCH ONLY BUT STILL NOT THE EDGE OF THE DITCH COMPLEX.

Ditch 013AB00017 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00016 DITCH FILL LINEAR   330   FLAT BASED V NOT FULLY EXCAVATED. CUT BY DITCH 5/18. FINDS SMALL FRAGS AN OS NOT EDMD.
013AB00017 DITCH CUT LINEAR   330   FLAT BASED V NOT FULLY EXCAVATED. CUT BY DITCH 5/18. CUT INTO ANGULAR WHITE CHALK.

Ditch 013AB00018 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00005 DITCH FILL LINEAR 421 203 39 ROUND-BASED V CONTAINED ANIMAL BONE AND POTTERY. A RECUT OF DITCH 16/17. CHALK INC 20% 1-5 CM IN DIAMETER.
013AB00018 DITCH CUT LINEAR 421 203 39 ROUND-BASED V THIS AS A RECUT OF DITCH 16/17. CUT INTO ANGULAR WHITE CHALK NATURAL.

Ditch 013AB00019 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00006 DITCH FILL LINEAR 610 249 33 FLAT BASED U FILL CONTAINED VERY FEW PIECES OF BONE. CHALK INCLUSIONS 5% 0.5-3 CM IN DIAMETER.
013AB00019 DITCH CUT LINEAR 610 249 33 FLAT BASED U CUT INTO ANGULAR WHITE AND PINK CHALK. VERY WIDE FLAT BASE SHALLOW V-SIDED PROFILE. OVERLIES POST HOLE 12/13.

Ditch 013AB00020 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00002 DITCH FILL LINEAR 512 277 21 WIDE U FILL OF DITCH. UPON REMOVAL OF THIS FILL IT BECAME APPARENT THAT 2 SEPARATE SLOTS BOTH LAY BENEATH THIS FILL. POT AN OS AND GLASS. DAUB AND CHAR FLECKS
013AB00020 DITCH CUT LINEAR 512 277 21 WIDE U CUT INTO CHALK NATURAL. TWO SLOTS WERE CUT THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THIS DITCH.

Ditch 013AB00021 Section and Notes


 
KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
013AB00004 DITCH FILL LINEAR 345 70 12 WIDE U FILL OF DITCH. LAY ABOVE STONY FILL 11. FINDS OF SMALL ANIMAL BONE ONLY. VERY SHALLOW AND PROFILE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE. OVERLAY FILL 11.
013AB00011 DITCH FILL LINEAR 345  70  20 V-SHAPED UNEXCAVATED FILL OF E/W DITCH OVERLAIN BY 4. (REMOVED BY MACHINE)
013AB00021 DITCH CUT LINEAR 345 70 32 V-SHAPED MATERIAL REMOVED BY MACHINE TO OBTAIN SECTION AND PROFILE OF DITCH.

Objects by Context and Period

KEY_ID OB PERIOD MATERIAL TYPE SUB_TYPE CLASS No
013AB00002 AA ANGLIAN POTTERY SHERDS   ANGLIAN
4
013AB00002 AB ROMAN GLASS SHERD    
1
013AB00002 AC ROMAN? POTTERY SHERD    
1
013AB00003 AA Unassigned STONE STONE FOSSILIFEROUS  
1
013AB00003 AB 4TH CENTURY POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
013AB00007 AA Unassigned POTTERY SHERD    
1
013AB00008 AA Unassigned IRON IRON FRAGMENT    
1

Animal Bones by Context and Species

KEY_ID SPECIES ELEMENT QUANT CHEW BURN BUTCH FBRK
013AB00002 CATTLE Ld4
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00002 SHEEP M/C D
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00002 SHEEP/GOAT Calcaneum
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00009 CATTLE Humerus fr
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00009 SHEEP Phalanx 1
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00009 SHEEP/GOAT Humerus fr
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00009 SHEEP/GOAT Pelvis fr
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00014 DOG Femur D
1
0
0
0
1
013AB00014 DOG Femur P
1
0
0
0
1
013AB00014 PIG Atlas
1
0
0
0
0
013AB00014 PIG M/C P
1
0
0
0
1
013AB00014 SHEEP Tibia D
1
0
0
0
1
013AB00014 SHEEP/GOAT LM3
1
0
0
0
0