Data from an Archaeological Recording at Streethay, Lichfield, Staffordshire, 2021 (HS2 Phase One)
High Speed Two Ltd., AOC Archaeology Group, Connect Archaeology, 2025. https://doi.org/10.5284/1129153. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © High Speed Two Ltd. unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 5629
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1129153
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises of text, images, spreadsheets and GIS data from archaeological mitigation works were carried out by Connect Archaeology between 28th of July and 27th of October 2021 at WP29D Streethay, Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Project Summary
Following an earlier phase of trial trenching which identified evidence for possible Romano-British pottery production and unclassified Romano-British activity a mitigation area was identified as having archaeological potential.
The general aims of the archaeological recording at Streethay were:
- To expose surviving archaeology in the mitigation area through the application of an archaeologically controlled topsoil strip using plant equipped with a toothless bucket;
- To archaeologically excavate and record all significant archaeological features within the mitigation area, in order to clarify the nature, date, extent and survival of any remains revealed and thus contribute to understanding of their heritage significance;
- The mitigation aimed to provide a permanent archaeological record for the purposes of contributing to specific GWSI: HERDS Specific Objectives;
- To obtain dating and environmental evidence (where possible) through retrieval of artefactual and ecofactual evidence;
- To carry out post-excavation assessment and analysis of recovered material;
- To publish the results of the excavation to bring the findings into the public and academic domain.
The specific aims of the Archaeological Recording were:
- To examine whether the character of archaeological activity can be identified;
- Including any focus of pottery production and whether any settlement or other evidence is present;
- To examine the extent, scale, layout, chronology and longevity of pottery production; to examine the character, construction and fuelling of any kiln;
- To determine whether evidence of extraction, storage and processing of raw material can be identified;
- To examine any kiln/s and pottery produced in its local context, including any influence from proximity to a possible villa site at Curborough and to Rycknield Street, also proximity to the military forts and civilian settlement located near Wall, c.6km south on Watling Street;
- To examine any kiln/s pottery produced in its regional and wider context, including the influence that the proximity to trade/supply and distribution networks may have had on technology, scale of the industry and the type of wares produced;
- To examine any kiln/s and pottery produced to determine if they enhance understanding of Roman and native interaction, the organisation of the Roman army, functional trends, site status, ethnic and cultural identity, and their contribution to understanding of chronological development, spatial patterning and integrated finds studies;
- To examine potential zoning of types of activity during different phases of use;
- To confirm how many phases of activity are present;
- To provide a secure chronological framework for phases of activity through recovery of additional finds, supplemented by scientific dating; to examine the environment and economy through recovery of palaeoenvironmental and ecofactual information.
Re-Use Value Statement
The results should be compared with regional and route wide evidence to examine whether they concord or contrast with the current baseline data regarding regional settlement patterns and anticipated material cultures based on artefact and ecofact types present and settlement architecture. Should any imported goods be identified within the artefact assemblages, this may provide evidence that could potentially aid the investigation of the Romano-British infrastructure network in the region. This same research question could be addressed if the pottery produced on or near the mitigation area can be identified on other archaeological sites in the region or across Britannia more generally.
Further work will help to narrow the likely date of the pottery production, as well as identify the forms being produced here. Comparison of the pottery groups, ware groups and functional analysis with other rural and production sites will help to determine the nature of regional and cultural differences along the length of the route and, as previously mentioned, act as a potential aid in the understanding of the early Roman infrastructure network.
Although the metal finds from Streethay are most likely Romano-British in date and are considered to be of site-specific and local importance, the assemblage possesses little scope for further research and analysis. Should the results be published, the needle and spatulate tool are deserving of mention.
No cereal grain or weed seeds were present in any of the deposits. Further identification work could be carried out on the charcoal from pit [1179] but is likely to simply result in greater counts of oak rather than any new types. No further work is recommended on the remaining environmental samples.
