Newham Museum Archaeology Project Archives
Newham Museum Service, 2000. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000328. How to cite using this DOI
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London Borough of Redbridge
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 265
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000328
- How to cite using this DOI
Milk Street, North Woolwich (HE-MS 96)
Overview
Overview
An archaeological evaluation was carried out at Milk Street, North Woolwich between the 4th and the 27th of November 1996 by the Archaeology Section of Newham Museum Service. A single trench was excavated to expose alluvial deposits to the depth of natural gravel. The excavation revealed layers of Roman date within the alluvial clay. Material from an occupation site or dump and postholes, as well as the articulated skeleton of a bovine were recorded, dated to the late 2nd -late 3rd century A.D.
Contents
- Introduction
- Project Design
- Desktop Study of Sub-Surface Geological Contours
- Evaluation
- Palaeoenvironmental Investigation of the Sedimentary Deposits
- Finds
- Conclusions
Introduction
The Milk Street site lies in the south-eastern part of the East Ham marsh within an Archaeological Priority Area as defined within the London Borough of Newham UDP. This is an area of deeply stratified Thames alluvial deposits which include sequences of peat layers which further to the north in Beckton and Barking have preserved Bronze Age trackways, revetments and other structures. Also of great importance within these deposits is the known preservation of palaeoenvironmental deposits. This site therefore has the potential to preserved any evidence of anthropogenic activities and environmental data sequences.
Recent archaeological work in the vicinity of the site at Royal Victoria Gardens through to the site of the in-construction-pumping-station has shown a palaeoenvironmental sequence 5-6m in depth after the striping off of 1-2m of overburden. The sequence showed, in well defined deposits, a process of continuous regression and rise in sea levels producing periods of forested landscapes and drowned landscapes. This process can be traced into the historical period as a long period of bad weather and high sea levels forced the abandonment of the medieval village of North Woolwich by the fourteenth century. A deposit of possible medieval date was recorded in the park which may relate to this settlement.
Project Design
The aims of the evaluation were:
- To determine the nature of the topography of the buried landscapes that the site lies within.
- To determine, as far as is reasonably possible, the location, extent, date, character, condition, significance and quality of any surviving archaeological remains liable to be threatened by the proposed redevelopment. Attention should be given to sites and remains of all periods (inclusive of past environments).
- To seek to clarify the nature and extent of the existing disturbance and intrusions and hence assess the degree of archaeological survival of buried deposits and surviving structures of archaeological significance.
- To define the archaeological work required to meet the condition, and enable the preparation of a quantified specification.
Particular attention should be taken with regard to the potential survival of:
- Prehistoric wooden structures.
- Prehistoric landscapes.
- Medieval settlement deposits and structures.
- Palaeoenvironmental sequences.
- Organic and inorganic artefacts.
Desktop Study of Sub-Surface Geological Contours
The borehole investigation showed the site is underlain by Cretaceous Chalk, under Terrace gravel and Alluvium containing peat, with a covering of made ground.
To produce useful contour and surface plans of the horizons of the underlying geological deposits on the site, analysis of borehole data from a wider area than just the Milk Street site was necessary. There are only two boreholes on the actual site providing information. Further data came from the eleven boreholes put down on the south side of the George V Dock by the LDDC. This is land adjacent to the Milk Street site. Together the data from thirteen boreholes provides a workable set of results concerning sub surface contouring.
The data is of a limited nature, coming from only 13 boreholes, which were put down over a relatively large surface area. Only two boreholes were put down on the Milk Street site. These were put down E-W along Woodman Road. This means only the northern half of the site appears on the contour and 3-D plans. But the results are productive, giving a useable, general picture of the sub surface contours.
The results show a substantial rise in the gravel in the south east corner of the area, forming a gravel 'island.' In the past such an island would have represented areas of higher and drier ground in the marsh, favourable positions for human activity and settlement Secondly, there are three depressions in the gravel horizon running north-south. These may be ancient water channels.
The peat rises over the gravel island, and the possible water channels are again well defined, especially in the peat horizon, figure 3. Peat layers contain well preserved organic remains such as wood and leather which do not survive as well in other geological deposits. The preservation of such organic material relies on the peat remaining waterlogged and anaerobic. An alluvial layer of clay in this area seems to act as a water tight sealing cap preventing desiccation and oxygenation, which is known to cause breakdown of the underlying peat and organic archaeological deposits.
A considerable depth of made ground is present on certain parts of the area. However, the sealing clay layer protecting the peat has not been penetrated in any of the boreholes, implying that organic preservation of the peat should be good in the vicinity of the site.
Evaluation
A single evaluation trench measuring 12m x 12m at ground level was located to allow excavation to the depth of natural gravel. The trench revealed layers in the alluvial clay containing archaeological material.
To provide data on the environmental sequence within the alluvium, a column sample of the layers in section was taken by the Environmental Section of MoLAS. A bulk sample of the organic clay layer dated to the late 2nd - late 3rd century was also taken.
A layer of demolition material and made ground overlay alluvial layers. A series of clay layers overlay peat. Within the clay were two layers containing ceramics identified as Roman in date. Natural gravel was not reached by the excavation due to heavy ground and surface water.
At a depth of -0.25m A.O.D. a layer of silty clay was recorded, with frequent iron panning and vertical streaks of brown silty clay. This suggests an open land surface or tidal zone. Overlying this was a layer of dark grey brown organic clay at a depth of -0.10m A.O.D. The layer contained a considerable quantity of ceramics dated to the late 2nd to late 3rd century A.D. including plain samian ware, possible mayen ware, mortaria, flagons, flasks, storage jars, amphora and cooking vessels, some of a fine quality. Also in the layer were floor tile, roof tile, brick, burnt daub, charcoal, wood, wall plaster, burnt flint, slag, and the bone of domestic livestock, with evidence of butchery marks. The layer appeared to be deposited in semi-circular/oval spread with a central area of material with a very high organic content and most of the finds mentioned above. Analysis of the environmental evidence for this layer records cereals (wheats and oats) and grasses, indicating cultivation may have occurred close by on the dried marsh. Three postholes containing charcoal and degraded ceramic cut this layer.
This layer and the postholes were sealed above by a layer of light white grey clay which was present across the whole trench. This also contained ceramics of late 2nd to 3rd century date. Also within this layer was the articulated skeleton of an immature bovine, complete except for the pelvis and tail.
Palaeoenvironmental Investigation of the Sedimentary Deposits
Chronostratigraphy
Two samples from the lowest deposit were submitted for conventional C14 assay. These gave dates of 3010 +/- 70 Yrs B.P. (1420-1060 Yrs BC) and 3230 +/- 70 Yrs B.P. (1690-1390Yrs BC) . These dates ally archaeologically with the early to middle Bronze Age periods.
Lithostratigraphy
Unit C -0.525m OD
Highly organic silty clay; no internal structure; numerous non-humified to well-humified root / wood fragments throughout. Depth unknown. Probably a flood deposit containing, in part, re-deposited silts. The well humified organics contained within suggest re-deposition originally, possibly just within or on the margins of an active channel. However, the non-humified roots probably belonged to vegetation growing on top of these re-deposited silts (i.e. post depositional growth) causing bioturbation of the unit to some degree. Either the channel migrated away from the site during this stage or water levels dropped. The C14 dates place the accumulation of this deposit in the Early to mid Bronze Age at the end of the Thames III transgression and the beginnings of the Tilbury IV regression.
Unit B 0.02m OD to -0.525m OD
Silty clay; no internal structure although more crumbly at top; random patches of grey clay and iron staining throughout upper part of unit; occasional wood lumps in creasing in lower part of unit especially at the base. Diffuse contact with unit below. probable flood deposit. The woody fragments at the base of the unit (decreasing upward) indicate possible re-deposition / slight erosion of unit below locally. Iron staining associated with roots / root penetration indicates probable (later) bioturbation throughout the unit especially toward top. Gray clay patches exhibiting crumbly structure could indicate dying out of unit to some degree. Certainly, the predominance of roots at top of unit suggest an open land surface or tidal zone developing on to which the unit above was deposited.
Unit A 0.22m to 0.02m OD
Silty clay becoming darker with depth probably through carbon staining; blocky structure probably through drying; possibly CaCO3 concentrations; occasional brick fragments throughout increasing toward base of unit concurrent with pot fragment (c. 10x15mm). Contact with unit below sharp and horizontal. This unit is a less disturbed deposit unlike the units below. The predominance of building material / pot (decreasing upward) suggests human habitation / settlement locally on a surface which was either gently flooded or dumped upon /into. This could indicate an (encroaching?) shallow, low energy tidal environment.
Biostratigraphy
Plant Macrofossils
The identifiable plant macrofossils are all representative of species not unexpected in an environment near to or within the vicinity of a water course and represent a natural accumulation. All the plant macrofossils identified are robust enough to sustain movement or abrasion which would be expected in an eroded and re-deposited sediment as envisaged for this unit in the lithostratigraphy section above. Indeed, the very erosion / re-deposition of the sediment probably accounts for the bias in favour of these robust species and the poor preservation of the wood.
Cereals
Emmer / Spelt Wheat, oat and grasses were identified in the samples. Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) was a major crop in the Neolithic and Bronze Age but becomes less prevalent in the Iron Age. Spelt wheat (Triticum spelta) reached its peak in terms of use as a crop during the Iron Age and subsequent Roman periods. Oat was not in Britain until the Iron Age - although common throughout Europe during the Bronze Age. On the whole, the cereal species identified were cultivated within the Iron Age / Roman periods.
Finds
Pottery was found in the stratigraphic unit A along with the cereal grains. Unfortunately, most pot was too fragmented to identify. Interestingly, part of the identification problem centred around the objects being burnt prior to deposition although the lack of abrasion does tend to signify little or no transport during deposition. The broad range of dates, although too broad to be particularly helpful, do put this deposit squarely into the Roman period.
Conclusions
The Milk Street stratigraphic sequence tends to indicate flood deposits of silty clays associated with a river channel dating from the Bronze Age through to the Roman periods. It seems likely that these deposits relate to overbank flood deposits from a subsidiary to the Thames, possibly the River Roding.
