3678 Land at Tithebarn Green (Redhayes) Exeter Devon: Archaeological Evaluation
Cotswold Archaeology, 2015. (updated 2016) https://doi.org/10.5284/1034384. How to cite using this DOI
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- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1034384
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in January 2012 on Land at Tithebarn Green (Redhayes), near Exeter, Devon. Seventeen trenches were excavated. The evaluation identified a number of archaeological features throughout the proposed development area which generally correlated well with the results of a preceding geophysical survey. Archaeological features encountered comprised ditches, pits and postholes, generally dated to one of two broad periods; prehistoric and post-medieval/modern.
Evidence of Neolithic activity was identified in Trench 7 where four pits, seemingly forming a north-west/south-east alignment, were found to contain pottery of probable Middle Neolithic date. A 14C date recovered from one of the pits compliments such an interpretation.
Substantial ditches identified in Trenches 5, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 17 confirm the presence a large enclosure identified by both cropmark evidence and the earlier geophysical survey. Further ditches located in Trenches 3, 7, 10 and 15 attest to the presence of a probable internal division within this enclosure. Although no closely dateable material was recovered from these features, a possible later prehistoric/Iron Age date is postulated for their construction. A 14C date recovered from the ditch suggests that it remained partially open and visible as an earthwork into the Saxon period. Further undated, but possibly prehistoric, features comprising pits/postholes were identified in Trenches 2, 3, 5, 6, 11 and 14. Probable post-medieval/modern field boundaries were identified in Trenches 3, 7, 10 and 15. The exact function of the undated ditches identified in Trenches 2, 4, 6, 11, 14 and 17 remains unclear, although they are likely to relate to land management and/or division.
