Swain, B., Jackson, N. and Teale, K. (2022). Archaeological trial trench investigations at Smeathorns Road, Moorsholm, North York Moors National Park: Assessment Report. London: DigVentures. https://doi.org/10.5284/1103142. Cite this using datacite

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Title:		 Archaeological trial trench investigations at Smeathorns Road, Moorsholm, North York Moors National Park: Assessment Report
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Series:		 DigVentures unpublished report series
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Downloads:
digventu1-507237_192524.pdf (67 MB) : Download
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DOI
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1103142
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Publication Type:		 Report (in Series)
Abstract
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Abstract:		 Fieldwork was undertaken in April 2022 to address a series of research questions which focused on an extant series of earthworks observed in the LIDAR and subsequent walkover survey (Brightman 2020). The area investigated was located to the west of Smeathorns road, and comprised of a series of earthworks, ditches and banks, and enclosures. The investigations involved a programme of targeted excavation. In total, five trenches were opened over the course of the excavation, each investigated specific targets determined by the NYMNPA. The overall aim of the fieldwork carried out in 2022 was to explore what had been discovered firstly in the LIDAR study and the following walkover survey by carrying out a programme of intrusive excavation. From the excavations it was hoped to determine a chronology and function of the site and to determine its preservation. Prior to this investigation, the earthworks at the site were thought to be late Iron Age or Romano-British. Whilst there was a handful of fragments of Roman pottery, these were highly degraded and likely to have washed in from elsewhere. It is probable the Roman pottery didn’t travel far, and so there is likely a Roman presence on the site. Most of the artefacts recovered were worked lithics (n:200), these indicate that there were people living at the site in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The results of the assessment of the lithics concluded that the material principally derives from the later Neolithic and early Bronze Age but includes some residual Mesolithic activity. From the 42 fragments of pottery recovered on site, over half of them are potentially handmade early prehistoric fragments (N:22), the rest have been dated predominantly to the late Roman period. It is recommended that further excavation is carried out at the site, this would involve opening larger trenches over enclosures to find more evidence pointing towards a settlement rather than a transient camp. It would also be pertinent to look at the potential round barrows that are on the site, to investigate whether these are related to the settlement, and to attempt to date these features. It would be relatively safe to assume that they are of the same the date as the enclosures given that other round barrows in the area are from the Neolithic or early Bronze Age. Finally, as excavation of late Neolithic sites is fairly rare this gives a brilliant opportunity to learn more about the people living at the site. What we have recovered so far is just a glimpse into what we may have.
Author
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Author:		 Ben Swain
Nat Jackson
Kimberley Teale
Publisher
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Publisher:		 DigVentures
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:		 2022
Locations
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Locations:
County: North Yorkshire
Parish: Lockwood
District: Redcar and Cleveland
Country: England
Grid Reference: 467259, 513601 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods
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Subjects / Periods:
TRIAL TRENCH (Event)
LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Object England)
EARLY BRONZE AGE LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Tag)
TRANSVERSE ARROWHEAD (Object England)
MESOLITHIC TRANSVERSE ARROWHEAD (Tag)
LEVALLOIS CORE (Object England)
LATE NEOLITHIC LEVALLOIS CORE (Tag)
ARROWHEAD (Object England)
EARLY BRONZE AGE ARROWHEAD (Tag)
THUMB NAIL SCRAPER (Object England)
EARLY BRONZE AGE THUMB NAIL SCRAPER (Tag)
ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (Monument Type England)
EARLY BRONZE AGE ENCLOSED SETTLEMENT (Tag)
BOWL BARROW (Monument Type England)
EARLY BRONZE AGE BOWL BARROW (Tag)
LATE NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods)
EARLY BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods)
MESOLITHIC (Historic England Periods)
Identifiers
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OASIS Id: digventu1-507237
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Created Date
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Created Date:		 03 Feb 2023