1116098. Cite this using datacite

Title:

Evaluation at Eynsham Cotswold Garden Village, Oxfordshire

Series:

Oxford Archaeological Unit unpublished report series

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Biblio Note

This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has not been reviewed by the relevant HER. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.

Licence Type:

ADS Terms of Use and Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5284/1116098

Publication Type:

Report (in Series)

Abstract:

A programme of 117 trenches measuring up to 50m by 2m were targeted on anomalies of possible/probable archaeological origin identified by the previous geophysical survey (WYAS 2019) across six areas of the proposed development site (Areas 1-6). A single 10m by 2m trench was excavated in the south of Area 6. Areas 2 (Trenches 26-46), 3 (Trenches 47-64), 5 (Trenches 87-102) and 6 (Trenches 103-118) were investigated in September 2019 and Area 4 (Trenches 65-86) in January 2020. Trenches 1-25 in Area 1 were not investigated during this phase of evaluation due to access constraints. A series of potential areas of archaeological remains were identified in the survey results including an enclosure system (Area 3), two barrow ditches (Area 4 and 6) and a number of field boundary ditches that were present across the site. The proposed trench locations were subject to slight adjustment in the field in order to avoid services or other unforeseen obstacles. The trenches were located to investigate potential natural features and to test blank areas within the geophysical survey results. The trenches were excavated using a tracked machine fitted with a flat toothless bucket. Machining continued in spits down to the top of the natural geology or the archaeological horizon, whichever was encountered first. Once archaeological deposits had been exposed, excavation continued by hand. A sample of each feature was excavated in each trench as outlined within the project WSI (OA 2019a). Sufficient excavation was undertaken in each trench to resolve the principle aims of the evaluation. Where an exceptional number of archaeological deposits were uncovered, a sample excavation was undertaken in order to be minimally intrusive. Oxford Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation on the site of the proposed Oxfordshire Garden Village housing development, north of Eynsham, Oxfordshire, between September 2019 and January 2020. The fieldwork was commissioned by Terence O’Rourke Ltd, on behalf of Grosvenor Development Ltd. A preceding geophysical survey undertaken in 2019 detected a range of anomalies of possible or probable archaeological origin, including two circular/curvilinear anomalies suggestive of ring ditches and a series of linear anomalies interpreted as a series of enclosures or sub-enclosures. The geophysical survey results also reflect variations in the natural geology and medieval/post-medieval to modern agricultural land use. A total of 93 trenches were investigated across five areas of the proposed development site, some of which were targeted upon selected geophysical anomalies interpreted as being of possible archaeological origin. Of these, 22 trenches were found to contain archaeological remains of pre-modern date generally comprising ditches, pits and postholes. A relatively high degree of correlation between the results of the geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation was demonstrated. A ring ditch in the north of Area 4 may have been of early Bronze Age date, and the remains of a possible associated bank and buried topsoil were also identified. A second ring ditch excavated further to the south-east in Area 6 may have been of similar date, though only Iron Age pottery was recovered from the feature. It is possible that the ring ditches represented the remains of Bronze Age barrows that continued to occupy the landscape into the Iron Age. Evidence of more intensive prehistoric land use activity on site is dated to the Iron Age, with a notable concentration of inter-cutting ditches suggestive of agricultural activity revealed in the centre of Area 4. A number of undated features in the same area of the site may be indicative of related Iron Age activity.

Author:

lee Sparks
jim Mumford
charlotte Howsam

Publisher:

Oxford Archaeology

Year of Publication:

2020

Locations:

Country:	England
County:	Oxfordshire
Parish:	Eynsham
District:	West Oxfordshire

Grid Reference: 443006, 210427 (Easting, Northing)

Subjects / Periods:

DITCH (Monument Type England)

CERAMIC (Object England)

RING DITCH (Monument Type England)

TREE THROW (Monument Type England)

MEDIEVAL SHERD (Tag)

UNCERTAIN SHERD (Tag)

NAIL (Object England)

ANIMAL REMAINS (Object England)

ROMAN GULLY (Tag)

UNCERTAIN CERAMIC (Tag)

IRON AGE ANIMAL REMAINS (Tag)

UNCERTAIN DITCH (Tag)

NATURAL FEATURE (Monument Type England)

SLAG (Object England)

EARLY BRONZE AGE SHERD (Tag)

PIT (Monument Type England)

EARLY PREHISTORIC LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Tag)

IRON AGE DITCH (Tag)

POST MEDIEVAL SHERD (Tag)

UNCERTAIN TREE THROW (Tag)

UNCERTAIN SLAG (Tag)

LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Object England)

GULLY (Monument Type England)

UNCERTAIN NAIL (Tag)

CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Object England)

UNCERTAIN PIT (Tag)

ROMAN DITCH (Tag)

POST MEDIEVAL CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Tag)

EVALUATION (Event)

IRON AGE SHERD (Tag)

LATE IRON AGE PIT (Tag)

SHERD (Object England)

UNCERTAIN RING DITCH (Tag)

ROMAN ANIMAL REMAINS (Tag)

20TH CENTURY PIT (Tag)

UNCERTAIN NATURAL FEATURE (Tag)

IRON AGE (Historic England Periods)

EARLY BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods)

LATE IRON AGE (Historic England Periods)

20TH CENTURY (Historic England Periods)

ROMAN (Historic England Periods)

MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)

POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)

EARLY PREHISTORIC (Historic England Periods)

UNCERTAIN (Historic England Periods)

Identifiers:

OASIS Id:

oxfordar1-509854

Source:

OASIS (OASIS)

Relations:

Created Date:

30 Nov 2023