Preprocess Annotations
Report Title
Priors Green, Takeley, Essex. Archaeological Evaluation by Trial Trenching. Phase1, Stage 1
Publisher and Publication Year
Essex County Council Field Archaeology Unit - 2005
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Summary
6.1 Finds Summary by J Compton Small amounts of finds were recovered from a total of twenty-three contexts, across fourteen of the excavated trenches. All of the material was counted and weighed, in grams, by context; full details can be found in Appendix 3. The finds types present comprise mainly struck flints and pottery, predominantly of prehistoric date. Few site features can be closely dated, but, in general, the medieval and post-medieval material was recovered near to currently-occupied buildings. In addition, modern and post-medieval finds were located in a drainage trench running across the centre and east of the investigated area. A fragment of modern fibrous tile came from ditch [93], Trench 11 and a piece of burnt stone, possibly derived from tarmac, from pit [89], Trench 10. Prehistoric material was recovered from features in the west of the excavated area, but these finds are also few in number. Prehistoric pottery came from twelve contexts, and amounted to 175 sherds, weighing 620g. Seven contexts produced a total of fifteen worked flints, weighing 200g. The flints, prehistoric pottery and medieval pottery (15 sherds, weighing 81g) form the subject of separate short reports, and, since the remaining categories are few, these are described together below. Late Iron Age and Roman pottery was recovered from five contexts, amounting to 7 sherds, weighing 24g. These are small body sherds, none of which can be closely dated within the Late Iron Age and Roman periods; two sherds are in grog-tempered ware, ditches [56] and [144], and three are sandy grey ware, ditches [22], [117] and [93]. Six pieces of post-medieval roof tile, weighing 68g, came from three contexts. These are small and abraded. The fragments from f (39) of ditch [25] are associated with a sherd of post- medieval red earthenware and a clay pipe stem. Those from f (36) of ditch [24] are associated with two iron nails. A flat iron fragment was found in f (94) of ditch [93], in the same context as the fibrous tile noted above. This ironwork is likely to be post-medieval, although there are no diagnostic features which confirm this date. A fragment of iron was also recovered from the f of possible cremation burial [8], in Trench 28. Twenty-four burnt bone fragments, weighing less than 2g, were recovered from the feature, but the amount is too small to ascertain whether these are animal or human. Also present were quantities of slag and charcoal, and the latter included six carbonised cereal grains. The few sherds of pottery present are prehistoric, with two which are either Roman in date, or have been severely burnt. Identification as a cremation burial is problematic, as the burnt bone is not necessarily Priors Green, Takeley Archaeological Evaluation Report Prepared for Countryside Properties Plc 1616 human. The presence of iron, slag and prehistoric pottery together is improbable, unless one category is residual or the other intrusive. Baked clay and slag fragments were present in two fills of post-medieval ditch [42]. The sole animal bone is a very abraded sheep/goat molar in f (60) of Early Iron Age ditch [58]. Charcoal and coal fragments were found in three contexts ((23), (43) and (145)); these were discarded after recording. The prehistoric pottery and the flints attest to prehistoric activity in the vicinity. However, the assemblage, including the prehistoric finds, is fragmentary and abraded. The average sherd weight for all of the pottery is 3.5g, indicating a potentially high level of residuality. In addition, there are instances of modern intrusion, such as coal and fibrous tile, over much of the site. It seems likely that few of the finds are in their original places of deposition. Quantities are too small for further study, although more work at Takeley may provide enough evidence to define the prehistoric activity. The finds should all be retained, except for the modern and post-medieval items. 6.3 Prehistoric Pottery by N.J. Lavender-----------------------------
SUMMARY
All dimensions are given in metres
Trench Length Width Depth Area Grid Refs.
NW SE corner
Orientation Features
1a 20 2 0.6 40 TL 57282/21538
57301/21524
East-West Ditch 136, Ditch 138
1b 20 2 0.37 40 TL 57379/21538
57401/21540
East-West Ditch 128, Mod Hedge line
2 40 2 0.38 80 TL 57410/21532
57411/21492
North-South Pit 100, Ditch 112, Ditch 114
3 40 2 0.55 80 TL 57355/21512
57353/21471
North-South Natural Feature 110
4 40 2 0.6 80 TL 57355/21511
57296/21473
North-South Ph 130, Ph 132, Gully 134
5 40 2 0.75 80 TL 57354/21438
57394/21443
East-West Ditch 69 71, Pit 81, Ph 83
6 40 2 0.5 80 TL 57397/21425
57399/21384
North-South Planned only - 1 ditch
7 40 2 0.43 80 TL 57342/21363
57380/21383
East-West Planned only 4 ditches
8 40 2 0.54 80 TL 57314/21363
57342/21335
Northwest-
Southeast
Ditch 142, Ditch 144
3 other ditches planned only
9 40 2 0.55 80 TL 57304/21309
57305/21268
North-South Ditch 73, Ditch 91, Ditch 96,
Pit 75
10 40 2 0.54 80 TL 57362/21319
57362/21279
North-South Pit 85, Pit 87, Ph 89,
Ditch 65, Pit 67, Ditch 56
11 40 2 0.54 80 TL 57340/21279
57379/21276
East-West Ditches 93, 106, 120, 108, 146,
150, 154, 156, Ph 126
12 40 2 0.5 80 TL 57417/21342
57419/21301
North-South Ditch 58
13 40 2 0.3 80 TL 57451/21462
57453/21421
North-South Planned only 1 ditch (Mod)
14 40 2 0.45 80 TL 57438/21398
57478/21396
East-West Blank
15 40 2 0.46 80 TL 57502/21348
57492/21347
East-West Blank
16 40 2 0.46 80 TL 57404/21283
57442/21281
East-West Blank
17 40 2 0.42 80 TL 57452/21337
57473/21296
North-South Blank
18 40 2 0.7 80 TL 57492/21291
57494/21255
North-South Layer 102, Nat Feat 103
19 40 2 0.5 80 TL 57529/21287
57562/21266
Northwest-
Southeast
Blank
20 45 2 0.6 90 TL 57622/21483
57653/21481
East-West Ditch 22, Ph 33
21 40 2 0.43 80 TL 57528/21352
57529/21311
North-South Pit 48
22 40 2 0.37 80 TL 57511/21401
57549/21399
East-West Pit 45
23 40 2 0.4 80 TL 57502/21470
57505/21430
North-South Modern ditch Machine
excavated
24 40 2 0.32 80 TL 57518/21443
57557/21443
East-West Blank
25 40 2 0.3 80 TL 57529/21482
57569/21480
East-West Ph 26, Pit 28, Ditch 30
26 40 2 0.45 80 TL 57657/21446
57687/21420
Northwest-
Southeast
Pit 50, Pit 52,
Ditches 24, 25, 40, 61,63
27 40 2 0.4 80 TL 57624/21461
57626/21421
North-South Ditch 42
28 40 2 0.54 80 TL 57620/21535
57659/21534
East-West Crem 8, Ditch 14, Pit 16
29 40 2 0.55 80 TL 57593/21545
57594/21504
North-South Pit 20, Pit 18
Ditch 06, Ditch 12
30 40 2 0.63 80 TL 57588/21583 East-West Blank
4949
57627/21575
31 40 2 0.5 80 TL 57650/21619
57644/21577
North-South Nat feat 04, Ditch 10
32 25 2 0.6 50 TL 57622/21595
57645/21594
East-West Planned only 1 ditch
33 40 2 0.80 80 TL 57333/21327
57373/212328
East-West Nat feat 140, Ditch 148
5 ditches planned only
34 15 8 0.43 120 TL 57646/21540
57659/21529
N/A Planned only 2 ditches
35 20 2 0.5 40 TL 57618/21503
57621/21483
North-South Ditch 98
36 20 5 0.53 100 TL 57668/21415
57685/21420
East-West Blank
37 25 2 0.4 50 TL 57665/21439
57667/21415
North-South Ditch 116, Ditch 118
38 20 2 0.36 40 TL 57410/21468
57426/21455
Northwest-
Southeast
Ditch 123
1 other ditch planned only
39 10 2 0.45 20 TL 57392/21509
57400/21502
Northwest-
Southeast
Planned only 1 ditch
5050
APPENDIX 2: FEATURE LIST
All dimensions are given in metres.
Number Type Filled by Equals Length Breadth Depth Trench Date
1 Topsoil All-----------------------------
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION 2 2. BACKGROUND 3 2.1 Planning 2.2 Location and topography 2.3 Geology 2.4 History and archaeology 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 5 4. METHOD 6 5. FIELDWORK RESULTS 7 5.1 Trench 1a 5.2 Trench 1b 5.3 Trench 2 5.4 Trench 4 5.5 Trench 5 5.6 Trench 6 5.7 Trench 7 5.8 Trench 8 5.9 Trench 9 5.10 Trench 10 5.11 Trench 11 5.12 Trench 12 5.13 Trench 13 5.14 Trench 20 5.15 Trench 22 5.16 Trench 23 5.17 Trench 25 5.18 Trench 26 5.19 Trench 27 5.20 Trench 28 5.21 Trench 29 5.22 Trench 31 5.23 Trench 32 5.24 Trench 33 5.25 Trench 34 5.26 Trench 35 5.27 Trench 37 5.28 Trench 38 5.29 Trench 39 6. FINDS 15 6.1 Finds Summary 6.2 Prehistoric Pottery 6.3 Medieval Pottery 6.4 Flints 7. DISCUSSION 18 8. ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS 232 6 Pottery; body sherds, flint-tempered Prehistoric 36 24 2 36 Iron nails, with heads - 2 18 Roof tile fragments Post med. 39 25 1 8 Flint flake - 1 4 Clay pipe stem Post med. 2 36 Roof tile fragments Post med.
3 1 Charcoal and coal fragments (discarded) Modern 3 18 Baked clay - 44 42 2 6 Baked clay - 2 14 Roof tile, joining fragments Post med. 57 56 1 10 Pottery; body sherd, grog-tempered ware LIA 1 2 Pottery; body sherd, flint-tempered Early Iron Age
1. Introduction 1.1 Brief for Evaluation 1.2 Specification for Evaluation 2. Research Archive 2.1 Evaluation Report 2.2 Analytical Reports 2.2.1 Finds Reports 2.3 Finds Catalogues 2.3.1 Context Finds Record 3. Site Archive
Headings
FIGURES1. INTRODUCTION
2. BACKGROUND
2.1. Planning
2.2 Location and Topography (Fig. 1)
2.3 Geology
2.4 History and Archaeology
3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
4 METHOD
5. FIELDWORK RESULTS (Fig 1)
6 FINDS
6.1 Finds Summary by J Compton
6.3 Prehistoric Pottery by N.J. Lavender
6.4 Medieval and Post-medieval Pottery by Helen Walker
6.5 Flints by Hazel Martingell
7 DISCUSSION
Late Iron Age and Roman
8. ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
J A
LDROAD
SUMMARY
1 Topsoil All
2 Subsoil All
3 Undist Nat All
Context Feature Count Weight Description Date
7 6 1 1 Pottery; body sherd, sandy orange ware showing
2 8 Flint flakes -
90 89 1 12 Burnt stone (looks modern) -
94 93 1 4 Iron; flat fragment SF1 -
1 2 Tile fragment; fibrous Modern
3.2 Original Context Records 1 to 157
21 A1-size Permatrace plan sheets
22 A5-size Permatrace plan sheets
29 November 2004 until 17 December 2004
Prehistoric
Medieval
Post Medieval