4004, 4005, 4008, 4009, 4010, 4011, 4012, 4013, 4016.
4017, 4018, 4019, 4020, 4031, 4033, 4034, 4038, 4039, 4040, 4041, 4046, 4051, 4053, 4054, 4055, 4056, 4058, 4059, 4060, 4061, 4062, 4063, 4064, 4065
Contained within the area defined by the oval enclosure ditch were eight postholes cutting the clay natural, although the area excavated was not large enough to determine what kind of structure(s) they were part of (Figure 30).
Located just to the north of both ditch terminals were two postholes (4005, 4054). Posthole 4005 was oval in plan, 0.16 m by 0.20 m and 0.17 m deep. It was steep-sided and filled by a light-brown, silty clay containing small stones (4004). Posthole 4054 was also oval in plan, 0.24 m by 0.22 m and 0.07 m deep. The sides sloped gradually to a flat base. The posthole was filled by a light-brown, silty clay (4053). The similarity of the size and fill of these
Excavation Results
Fig. 26. Trench 4 post-excavation plan
postholes, and their position just to the north of either ditch terminal, suggest that they are a pair, representing the footings of a pair of gateposts at the entrance into the oval enclosure.
To the north of 4005 were three postholes (4056, 4020, 4058). Posthole 4020 was oval in plan, 0.48 m by 0.60 m and 0.10 m deep, with shallow, graduating sides to a flat base. It was filled by a friable, reddish-brown, silty clay that contained small angular stones and charcoal flecks (4019). Posthole 4056 was circular in plan, 0.54 mm in diameter and 0.29 m deep, with steep sides and a flat base. It was excavated by Time Team in 2012 and allocated cut number 407. Posthole 4058 was not fully
exposed as it ran into the section to the north. It was 0.18 m in diameter and 0.17 m deep with shallow sloping sides forming a conical base. It was filled by a light-brown, sandy clay that contained medium sized sub-angular stones which possibly represent post-packing.
To the west were three more postholes. Posthole 4041 was sub-oval in plan, 0.33 m by 0.35 m and 0.08 m in depth. It had shallow sloping sides graduating to an uneven base. It was filled by a friable, light-brown, silty clay containing small stones (4040). Posthole 4013 was circular in plan, 0.54 m in diameter, and 0.14 m deep, with shallow sloping sides and a flat base. It was filled by dark reddish-brown, sandy clay that contained many
Fig. 27. Photo of Trench 4 after excavation showing enclosure ditch terminals and entrance, looking southwest
Fig. 28. Trench 4 enclosure ditch sections
Excavation Results
Fig. 29. East facing section of enclosure ditch terminal showing rubble fill
Fig. 30. Trench 4 posthole and pit sections
stones, up to 0.16 m in size, and charcoal flecks (4012).
This was cut by another posthole (4018), although this was not fully exposed as it ran into the section to the north. Posthole 4018 was 0.49 m in diameter and 0.18 m deep with shallow sloping sides. It was filled with two layers – the primary fill was a yellow, silty clay (4017) and the secondary fill was an orangey, grey, silty clay that contained charcoal flecks (4016).
Outside of the area defined by the enclosure, in the southern half of the trench, a group of five cut features were identified. In the south-west corner of the trench was posthole 4061. This was circular in plan, 0.60 m in diameter and 0.14 m deep, with steeply sloping sides. It was filled with a friable, brownish-black, silty clay (4060) and five, burnt, packing stones up to 0.10 m in size (4062).
Truncating the posthole was a pear-shaped pit, 3.06 m by 1.40 m and 0.40 m deep (4064) (Figure 31). The pit cut had a U-shaped profile with broad sloping slides leading to a flat base (4037). The lowest fill was a light-brown sandy silt containing charcoal flecks (4063) on top of which was a circular orangey-red heat-affected sandstone slab, 0.70 mm in diameter and 0.06 m thick (4065).
Surrounding the stone was a compact, pliable, dark red clay (4034). This was covered by a dark brown-black pliable clayey silt (4033, 4046) rich in charcoal, burnt stone and containing some carbonised plant remains. The final fill was a dark greyish-brown, silty clay (4031) also containing frequent charcoal flecks and burnt angular stones. From this fill a Roman copper alloy enamelled
disc brooch was recovered probably dating to the 2nd or 3rd century AD (Hattatt 2000). The charcoal rich fills suggest that this pit may have been a kiln, possibly for drying grain. Cutting the pit was posthole 4039. This was circular in plan, 0.50 m in diameter and 0.49 m in depth, with steep sides and a flat base. It was filled by a dark brown-black compacted clay containing frequent charcoal flecks (4038) and a number of stones, up to 0.2 m in size and including a probable whetstone (4051).
Two metres to the east of this pit and posthole cluster was a double posthole (4009, 4011). Posthole 4009 was circular in plan, 0.28 m in diameter and 0.12 m deep with steeply sloping sides. It was filled by a browny-black compact clay containing frequent small stones (4008).
Posthole 4011 was also circular in plan, 0.26 mm in diameter and 0.11 m deep with steeply sloping sides. It was filled by a yellowy-brown compact clay (4010). It was not possible to ascertain which posthole cut the other, and it is possible that they are contemporary.
6.3 Trench 5
An area 15 m by 4 m was opened up by machine directly over Time Team’s Trench 5, which had been placed over a section of the oval enclosure ditch (as explored in Trench 4) and what appeared from the geophysics to be a larger enclosure boundary to the east (Figure 32). The objective was to recover more dating material and environmental remains from the oval enclosure ditch and fully explore Fig. 31. Photo of possible corn drying kiln (4064), looking northwest. Note the fire-reddened stone at the pit's base.
Excavation Results
Fig. 32. Trench 5 post-excavation plan
Fig. 33. Photo of Trench 5 looking west showing features cut into the clay natural. Note the oval enclosure ditch in the background
the large enclosure boundary as this was not bottomed by Time Team.
Below the modern turf and topsoil (5001) was a loosely compacted orangey-brown, silty, clayey deposit up to 0.35 m in depth (5002). It contained highly fragmented pottery sherds, and corroded metal objects and represents a relict ploughsoil that extends across the majority of the hilltop. This deposit (5002) directly overlay the natural geology (5003), which demonstrated significant variation in colour with irregular patches of a brown clay interspersed with a compact, pale yellowy-green clay. Some of these patches of yellowy-brown clay were investigated and found to have irregular shapes, diffuse edges and uneven bases suggesting that they are periglacial in origin.
Cut into the clay natural (5003) were a number of archaeological features including a section of the oval enclosure ditch, several postholes and scoops and a large circular pit (described below as the large enclosure boundary) (Figure 33).
6.3.1 The oval enclosure ditch