1092413. Cite this using datacite

Title:

Land to the North of Wessex Close, Topsham, near Exeter, Devon: Results of archaeological excavations - technical report

Series:

AC archaeology Ltd

Downloads:

acarchae2-287178_1.pdf (6 MB) :

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Licence Type:

ADS Terms of Use and Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5284/1092413

Publication Type:

Report (in Series)

Abstract:

Archaeological excavations on land north of Wessex Close, Topsham, Exeter were undertaken in two phases between September 2015 and April 2017. Archaeological evidence on the site follows broadly from intermittent prehistoric settlement within largely agricultural land until the beginning of the Roman period, to planned and sustained occupation throughout the later 1st to early 4th centuries AD. The main interest in the site was the remains of a large stone-footed aisled hall of Romano-British mid-2nd century AD date. Part of a probable furnace room from a bath-house was also exposed along with a series of roadside and enclosure ditches, wells and ovens. The finds from the site include sherds of prehistoric pottery, largely Middle Bronze Age in date, but also including some Late Neolithic Grooved Ware, and worked flint. A large collection of Romano-British finds includes pottery, coins, metalwork (including jewellery), glassware, ceramic building material, slate tiles, stonework, metalworking remains and three cremation burials in pots. Environmental remains included spelt wheat and oats, while the presence of fish bones indicate that fish sauce was being produced on the site. More exotic items, such as remains of imported foodstuffs and imported pottery, show wide-ranging contacts in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD adding to the evidence for a suspected port at Topsham. A small assemblage of medieval and post-medieval finds includes pottery from the known historic processing of sugar adjacent to the site.

Author:

A. Farnell
P. Rainbird

Publisher:

AC Archaeology Ltd

Year of Publication:

2018

Locations:

County:	Devon
District:	Exeter
Country:	England
Parish:	Exeter, unparished area

Grid Reference: 295829, 88919 (Easting, Northing)

Subjects / Periods:

BOTTLE (Object England)

ROMAN BOTTLE (Tag)

WELL (Monument Type England)

ROMAN WELL (Tag)

AISLED BUILDING (Monument Type England)

ROMAN AISLED BUILDING (Tag)

CESS PIT (Monument Type England)

ROMAN CESS PIT (Tag)

BATH HOUSE (Monument Type England)

ROMAN BATH HOUSE (Tag)

TEGULA (Object England)

ROMAN TEGULA (Tag)

FINGER RING (Object England)

ROMAN FINGER RING (Tag)

SHERD (Object England)

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE SHERD (Tag)

CREMATION BURIAL (Monument Type England)

ROMAN CREMATION BURIAL (Tag)

CINERARY URN (Object England)

ROMAN CINERARY URN (Tag)

COIN (Object England)

ROMAN COIN (Tag)

SHERD (Object England)

ROMAN SHERD (Tag)

SHERD (Object England)

LATE NEOLITHIC SHERD (Tag)

EXCAVATION (Event)

OVEN (Monument Type England)

ROMAN OVEN (Tag)

FISH REMAINS (Object England)

ROMAN FISH REMAINS (Tag)

ROOF SLATE (Object England)

ROMAN ROOF SLATE (Tag)

LATE NEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods)

ROMAN (Historic England Periods)

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods)

Identifiers:

OASIS Id:

acarchae2-287178

Note:

This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.

Source:

OASIS (OASIS)

Relations:

Created Date:

19 May 2022