Fabric categories.

Fabric 1 : flint tendered (28%)

Inclusions; medium size calcined flint temper of medium abundance (approximately 1000 grains per 1 gm of sherd) with a negligible backing of medium grade sand quartz natural to the clay.

Example of analysed sherd: flint temper (99%0; G - 0.9%, VC - 8#5%, C - 26.8%, M - 39.4%, F - 24.4% quartz sand (1%); M - 11 grains per gram of sherd

Firing and surface finish; surfaces and core are generally reduced but patches of buff, brown and orange exist. Exterior and some internal surfaces show signs of horizontal burnishing.

Sherd wall thickness; 4 - 8 mm

Technology; handmade with evidence of coil construction and subsequent drawing up (Rye 1981, 67-73).

Four small fragments of Roman tile were recovered from trench E. All of these are flat fragments, their approximate thicknesses being: 25 nm (context 1); 28 mm (context 35); 37 mm (context 1); and 40 mm (context 56). The two thinest fragments fall within the range of values known for tegulae, but could also possibly be from thin ‘Flat’ tiles. The two thicker fragments are from ‘Flat’ tiles/bricks.

Five sherds were submitted for study: three from trench A, context 1; and two from trench E, context 1. Those from trench A include: 1 sherd of orange ware with internal mottled green glaze; 1 sherd of orange ware with intelai orange-brown glaze; and 1 sherd of Staffordshire combed ware. Of the Merds from trench E, 1 is of pale orange/buff ware with internal mottled green glaze; and the other is of orange ware with partial external light green glaze and internal green glaze above applied, raised decoration in the form of pellets and lines.

The excavation produced a total of 23 metal artefacts; five of copper alloy and eighteen of iron. This material was recovered from two trenches only (B and E). 7 ne relationship of types to trenches is given in table 2.

Copper alloy (fig, 9).

1. Terret ring. Oval in form and of circular cross-section, with a low ridge-moulding around the outer edge of the loop. The loop tapers gradually from 7.2 mm diameter at the terminals to 6.2 mm opposite them. The terminals are circular (12.8 mm diameter) and have a shallow groove incised around them close to their inner faces. The attachment bar is parallel-sided and of rectangular section (6.6 mm x 4.5 mm). External dimensions: 54 mm x 47.2 mm; weight 41.6 gm.

Excavation of trenches B and E produced a small quantity of metalworking residues which was subjected to a simple visual examination in order to determine the nature of the metalworking activity. Four basic types of ironworking slag were identified in addition to a small quantity of fired clay, ammounting to 1,44 kg of debris. Further metallographic analysis would be required to continue the following divisions.

In all, 1065 fragments of bone were recovered from trench B. The bulk of the bone (868 fragments: 81%) came from the ditch; 121 fragments came from pits and scoops, 74 fragments from post holes and 1 fragment from a layer in the ‘working area’. Four of the pits and three of the post holes are in the ‘working area’ and they contained a total of 104 fragments of bone; the five post holes interpreted as a four-post structure contained 40 fragments of bone. With the exception of post holes 96 and 117, which contained one and two fragments of bone respectively, no bone was recovered from contexts east of the ditch running north-south at the eastern side of the site (39 and 78), nor from those contexts lying between its terminals. Two fragments of worked bone were recovered, one from context 5 in the ditch and one from post hole 75, which also contained one of the bird bones; the other bird bone came from context 41 in the ditch. The human remains and the dog bones were recovered exclusively from the ditch. The distribution of the bones of the larger domesticates and pig indicates consistency and continuity in disposal practices: 95.6% of the identified horse bones, 92.5% of the identified cattle bones and 80.5% of the identified pig bones w*re recovered from the ditch. Only the caprovid bones were spread more evenly over the site: 66.7% came from the ditch, 26.1% from the pits and scoops and 7.2% from post holes. Fragments of burnt bone were recovered from contexts 3 (ditch), 16 (post hole) and 107 (pit). Butchered and gnawed bones were distributed without any particular pattern in all three types of bone-bearing context.