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Oxford Archaeology (South)
Janus House
Osney Mead
Oxford
OX2 0ES
UK
Tel: 01865 263800
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This collection comprises site data (images, reports, spreadsheets, GIS and site records) from an Archaeological evaluation, undertaken by Oxford Archaeology in November 2021. Two trenches (30m by 1.8m) were excavated within the site. These trenches targeted the footprint of the proposed building and associated car park. The trenches also targeted a possible NE-SW earthwork observed on the LiDAR in the centre of the site. The other earthwork at the northern part of the site is outside the footprint of the proposed works. The trenches represented a 2% sample of the approximately 3000m2 site area. The two trenches were laid out across the site at the positions shown in the WSI using GPS survey equipment. The trenches were then excavated using a JCB 3CX wheeled excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket, in maximum 0.2m-thick spits, under constant supervision by an experienced archaeologist. The size of the trenches varied depending on location within the field and their excavated positions are shown. All topsoil, subsoil or colluvial deposits were removed in spits under the supervision of a trained archaeologist down to the first significant archaeological horizon or to the top of the natural geology depending on which was encountered first. All archaeological features and/or deposits encountered were hand excavated to establish their nature, extent, date, complexity, state of preservation and horizontal and vertical limits within the trench. The stratigraphy of each trench was recorded, with at least one representative section of the sediment sequence recorded for each trench.
All archaeological features and deposits were planned and recorded to standards in line with current best practice. The work included the recording of individual contexts in plan using GPS survey equipment; section drawings of appropriate single contexts and features (at 1:20, 1:10 scales as deemed appropriate). A photographic record was made for each trench and excavated feature. A range of 40L bulk samples were also collected from archaeological features, primarily for the recovery of charred plant remains and charcoal.
Recovered artefacts were recorded and bagged by individual context. Archaeological features were present in both trenches. Trench 1 contained two SW-NE aligned ditches and Trench 2 contained one ditch SW-NE aligned ditch and two pits. The two ditches in Trench 1, and two pits in Trench 2 contained pottery dating to the mid-11th century to the mid-13th century. Residual Roman pottery was also recorded in several features. All three ditches within the site were parallel to Back Lane. It is possible they represent boundary ditches relating to medieval settlement. The two pits contained pottery, animal bone and plant remains and may have been rubbish pits associated with a medieval property. The environmental remains were well preserved and indicate a mixed medieval rural economy of arable production of wheat and legumes with husbandry of cattle, sheep/goat, goose, pig and horse. It is clear that that the site contains previously unknown archaeological features dating from the medieval period and this contributes to the understanding of the development of Aston.