Surrey Archaeological Collections
Surrey Archaeological Society, 2003. (updated 2023) https://doi.org/10.5284/1000221. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 379
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000221
- How to cite using this DOI
SURREY ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS
Evidence for Neolithic and Bronze Age activity at Ashford Hospital
ROBERT COWIE
Archaeological investigations at Ashford Hospital revealed evidence for Neolithic and Bronze Age activity in the form of features cut into the river terrace gravel. At least three pits may date to the Neolithic period. One produced three large well-made flint scrapers, possibly placed as votive offerings. The others respectively yielded two potsherds and a single-platformed blade core. The few residual Neolithic artefacts from later features included a sherd of Peterborough ware. Early Bronze Age activity is represented by two pits containing burnt flint and charcoal, which were respectively dated by radiocarbon assay to 1970-1520 and 2030-1520 Cal BC. A waterhole cut by one of the pits was also probably of Early Bronze Age date. The position of the two pits suggests that the features may represent an event marking the abandonment and replacement of the waterhole with another 0.60m to the north and also the construction of a field (probably a stock enclosure). Ditches defined the northern and eastern sides of the enclosure and its corner entrance. The latter was shaped like a short funnel that could have been closed at both ends to allow livestock to be inspected and sorted. An undated waterhole close to the entrance may have been roughly contemporaneous with the enclosure. The enclosure and a third ditch to the north formed part of a co-axial field system. All three ditches contained sherds of flint-tempered pottery, some decorated in Deverel-Rimbury style, and struck flints. The date of the pottery suggests that the ditches were allowed to silt up either towards the end of the Early Bronze Age or more probably during the Middle Bronze Age. The finds were mainly concentrated in the eastern enclosure ditch suggesting the presence of a nearby settlement in the lee of the enclosure. A few pits also produced single potsherds or struck flints dated to the Middle Bronze Age.
