| Abstract: |
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Opera on behalf of Moda Living to undertake a strip, map and sample excavation on a parcel of land at Sackville Road, Hove, BN3 7AG. The excavation was undertaken as part of a programme of archaeological works as conditions of the planning permission granted by Brighton and Hove City Council(BH2019/03548) for the redevelopment of the trading estate, which include a prior desk-based assessment and trial trench evaluation. Based on areas of archaeological potential from prior evaluation in trenches 1 and 6, a mitigation area overlaying these trenches had been agreed, in consultation with the County Archaeologist. The excavation comprised of the excavation, investigation and recording of a single area measuring 0.11 ha. Archaeological remains, comprising 66 pits and postholes and two ditches, were identified. Most of these features, which include the remains of several probable post-built structures, are broadly dated to the late prehistoric period – probably the first half of the 1st millennium BC – though some are more chronologically secure than others. One posthole included the remains of a single pottery vessel, perhaps being a specific ‘placed’ deposit marking the end of use of a structure. Nearby, a large pit with multiple fills contained a substantial assemblage of post-Deverel-Rimbury pottery, alongside several notable objects that are indicative of textile-working (spindle whorls, loomweights, bone tools), as well as a piece of human bone that may demonstrate a further element of selectively ‘placed’ or ‘structured’ deposition. Environmental evidence includes a significant assemblage of charred and mineralised plant remains that suggest the processing and storage of cereal products on, or near to the site; evidence for the use of seaweed, potentially associated with textile production, was also identified. Taken together, the late prehistoric evidence suggests that there was extensive activity both on the site and in the immediate surrounds, and that this may be related to Early/Middle Iron Age settlement. The excavation also revealed limited traces of activity during other periods, including a single Romano-British ditch, a small number of pits of post-medieval/modern date, and a disturbed area containing the remains of modern railway sleepers. The late prehistoric remains, particularly the array of postholes thought to represent multiple post-built structures, as well as the associated pits and the notable artefactual and environmental assemblage indicative of textile-working (in some cases also suggesting an element of ‘placed’ or ‘structured’ deposition), are important discoveries within a local and regional context. Consequently, it is recommended that further analysis, principally of the finds and environmental evidence, is undertaken prior to publication of the results within the regional journal, Sussex Archaeological Collections. |
