Prehistoric and Medieval Features at Foster Road, Ashford: Preliminary Results
Between June and August this year Wessex Archaeology undertook excavation of an area of approximately 0.65 hectares off Foster Road, Ashford. The dig was commissioned by CgMs Consulting on behalf of PPG Southern Ltd and Cirrus Properties.
The excavation was interesting for its discovery of timbers preserved due to the high water table. Only a relatively small finds assemblage was uncovered, ranging from prehistoric to medieval, with an emphasis on the later prehistoric period. Pottery provides practically the only currently available dating evidence for the site, although scientific dating of charcoal and the waterlogged timbers will be possible later in the post-excavation analysis.
On the basis of the initial spot dating of the pottery, the archaeological features and deposits encountered have been grouped into five periods, detailed below.
Middle-Late Bronze Age
The earliest feature on the site comprised a large probable pond or waterhole that extended beyond the southern limit of excavation. The very irregular sides appear to be the result of poaching by livestock, implying stock-keeping during this period.
The upper fill of the pond was cut by a rectilinear enclosure ditch on its north-west side and by two contemporary ditches that continued to the north-east. A number of small pits and post-holes were recorded within the area bounded by the enclosure ditch. Seven of the postholes appear to form an arc, which continued beyond the limit of excavation, and probably represent a roundhouse between 3.7m and 4m in diameter.
The two ditches that extended to the north-east of the pond partly enclosed a shallow coomb that ran down the prevailing slope and may have been intended to drain this area. Within the coomb lay a hearth, postholes, slots and shallow pits, also broadly datable to this period. The postholes and slots, although probably structural, do not appear to form any coherent structure and limited intercutting between them demonstrates that they are not all contemporaneous. The activity that this group of features represents is uncertain, however, as they all contained relatively large quantities of charcoal, as did the overlying buried soil horizon in this area. It is hoped that analysis of environmental samples will shed light on these features.
In the north of the site a few irregular ditches or gullies suggest that they may represent drainage channels.
Later Prehistoric
Overlying the shallow coomb and partly overlying the enclosure ditch and pond was an extensive buried soil horizon. Pottery, broadly datable to the Late Bronze Age to Late Iron Age, was recovered from this, along with small quantities of animal bone, burnt flint and worked flint.
Several shallow, irregular gullies ran down the prevailing south-west facing slope. While some were very irregular and were probably naturally formed, others were certainly man-made, although in all cases their function appears to be drainage. Two shallow depressions were excavated in the east of the site and a large, waterlogged pit in the south, all broadly datable to this period. Although the function of this last feature is unclear, analysis of environmental samples taken from its fills may shed some light. The potential for scientific dating also exists on a large, possibly worked, timber that was recovered from the basal fill of this pit.
Late Iron Age to Romano-British
Several ditches and gullies of this period were recorded, again running down the prevailing south-west facing slope. Once again their function appears to be drainage, although their form was more regular than the earlier drainage features. In the north-east of the site one of these ditches was cut by a large pit, from which Late Iron Age and Romano-British pottery was recovered.
Saxon
Only three features, all in the north of the site close to the crest of the prevailing slope, were dated to the Early-Middle Saxon period on the basis of pottery in handmade, organic-tempered or sandy fabrics.
A sub-rectangular feature, approximately 4.4m long, over 2m wide and 0.20m deep, with gravel metalling in its base, has been interpreted as a 'sunken-featured building' (SFB), although the lack of any associated post-holes makes this interpretation uncertain. Approximately 30m to the west of the possible SFB were two large pits, also dated to the Early-Middle Saxon period. Both contained preserved timbers, comprising square linings to the pits with redeposited local clay and stone packing. These are currently interpreted as wells or waterholes; however, analysis of environmental samples may enhance this interpretation.
Medieval
Two phases of shallow gullies, some of which, unlike the majority of earlier features, ran across the prevailing slope, were dated to the medieval period. The potential date range appears to be 12th to 13th century, although there was little which is clearly diagnostic.
These features appear to represent a small system of enclosures or land divisions of uncertain function. All were very shallow and no indications of maintenance or re-cutting were seen in any of the excavated sections, suggesting that these were probably fairly short-lived features.
Vaughn Birbeck
Wessex Archaeology