MAAG 2018 at East Farleigh
By Stephen Clifton
In 2018 MAAG returned to an area of land at East Farleigh that became a focus of attention in 2013 due to a reference on the 1961 ordnance survey map to a Roman building, (remains of), on this 3-acre piece of land. Twenty-six test pits were dug in 2013 with a mechanical digger across the area that was free of trees. These trenches did not reveal the presence of a Roman building but did reveal some archaeological features in two of the trial trenches. These features were further explored, but no more extensive excavations were undertaken at the time.
The first trench (number 16), was found to hold a single almost complete pot in a dark grey fabric containing cremated bones in a grey-brown clay soil matrix. This pot was found upright in a shallow gully,
[411], running roughly east/west. The pot was later dated to 60BC/50AD and is described as courseware in a glauconitic fabric thought to originate on production sites in the vicinity of the Loose oppidum only a short distance south of East Farleigh. No other finds were recovered from this trench. The other trench (number 17), contained a burnt feature, in a roughly oblong shape, 1.23m x .78m, with the flue extending beyond the extent of the trench. This feature consisted of reddened and blackened scorched clay, and a single piece of pottery, tentatively dated to the fifth century AD. In 2018 the trench was re-exposed and extended
This second visit yielded another two features. Both of which appeared to be ditches beneath the oven-like feature. Subsequent pottery analysis has shown these features to be late Iron Age or possibly early Roman, (50 BC to 60 AD). The first of these ditches, [845], runs roughly east/west and is cut into the gault clay and chert natural layer, and was traced for
Left
East Farleigh whole site
Right
Magnetometry survey
The second ditch runs approximately NW/SE at a depth of 320mm and has a distinct slot cut into the base about 320mm wide. The fill is a similar orangey brown clay and chert mix. The base is flattened and dug to the natural ragstone. It has been suggested that this ditch profile could be associated with a beam-laid wall, or the foundation cut for a timber palisade fence.
These new features were a revelation because we had not seen any sign of similar features in the other test pits and wondered whether we could have missed any. Partly in anticipation of the 2019 season, and partly for insurance, we decided to undertake some survey work on this area of the site. Over three unseasonably warm days in February, a resistivity survey and a magnetometry survey were carried out on the site, avoiding the heavily wooded areas and those not accessible due to undergrowth or modern builders rubble. Almost 430 square meters were surveyed using both methods. The results are tantalising. Both methods produced extremely noisy results. This is probably due to the previous use of the ground for growing hops, which involves metal retaining devices screwed into the ground to support the hop poles and wires. These iron fixtures have turned up all over the site and generate spikes in the readings.
The Magnetometry meter produced several anomalies that can clearly be seen, most notably a squarish feature, of approximately 20m x 20m, almost in the centre of the site to the east of our excavated trench. Besides this feature, two other curving anomalies could be ditches, one to the South West and the other running off the square feature to the east.
The resistivity survey was if anything even more confused. We were not expecting much from this, because the trial trenches had not thrown up anything to suggest buildings on the land. However, there are many swirls of high and low readings that must be geological, but two areas of interest were revealed. On the northern edge of the survey area on the edge of the first 30m grid, is a right-angled anomaly of high signal that looks as if it is worthy of further examination. Also, there is also an area of a low signal at the far edge of the second square that looks like a squarish feature, coincidentally occupying a similar position to the large feature in the Magnetometry survey.
The survey results have certainly given us some targets to aim for in the forthcoming season. If anyone would like to come and join us this year, they would be warmly welcomed. We usually dig on a Sunday from 10 am til 4 pm, and we will be starting the season around Easter, the exact date will be confirmed on the MAAG blog at www.maag.btck.co.uk.
Alternatively, contact at Stephen.clifton@talk21.com or 07709 237355.
Left
Resistivity survey
Right
Trench diagram