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Report Title

Dagenham Priory Comprehensive School, School Road: evaluation

Publisher and Publication Year

Wessex Archaeology - 2005

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Summary

Non Technical Summary Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by the Department of Education, Arts and Libraries, of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, to undertake an archaeological evaluation on land at Dagenham Priory Comprehensive School, School Road, Dagenham centred on NGR 549574/183998 (the Site). This report presents the results of the evaluation, which took place between the 31st May ­ 3rd June 2005. The northern end of the Site was dominated by a 20m wide, east ­ west, gravel filled palaeo channel. This feature, which almost certainly represents a silted up tributary of the Wantz stream, was limited to the south by a distinct east ­ west bank which upon excavation turned out to be at least partly man made. Below this bank, in the areas adjacent to the palaeo-channel, a number of features, ditches and pits as well as evidence of flood deposits were revealed. To the south of this bank the evaluation revealed a number of archaeological deposits and features including evidence of a Late Bronze Age ­ Early Iron Age buried landscape, which appears to have suffered only minor post depositional damage . Of particular significance was a possible relict land surface that produced numerous sherds of well preserved Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age pottery from its upper interface. Two parallel north - south ditches were discovered on the western edge of the Site. These were almost certainly the silted up remains of a Late Bronze Age - Early Iron Age ditched enclosure. The enclosure and parts of the relict landsurface were overlain by a clean silty deposit, the result of flooding, This flooding event appeared to have been restricted to the south west corner of the Site and seemed to respect the line of the ditched enclosure. Quantities of ceramic bars (briquetage) were found in the Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age ditches and on the top of the possible relic landsurface. These must have originally come from either a nearby, as yet undiscovered, pottery kiln or were used in Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age salt production. Most of the features and archaeological horizons were found to lie within 0.40m of the present day ground surface. Undisturbed geological deposits comprising yellowish orange sand and coarse sandy gravels were encountered in all seven trenches, at a height of between 3.52m above Ordnance Datum (aOD) at the southern end of the site and 2.57m aOD at the northern edge of the site. iv AcknowledgementsSummary of Sequence 4.4.1 The area to the south of the east ­ west bank lay between 3.80m aOD at the top of the bank and 4.22m aOD at the southern edge of the Site. This area was characterised by a different depositional sequence of archaeological deposits and features than that of the northern part of the Site. 4.4.2 This part of the Site was characterised by one or more phases of ditched enclosure which largely defined and enclosed the remnants of a deposit of mid grey brown, sandy silt (407, 504, 602) with frequent flat small stones included in its matrix. These deposits either pre-dated or were contemporary with the construction and initial use of the excavated ditches (see section 4.6). In turn these ditches were largely sealed by an homogenous layer of silt (601, 701) possibly representing a flooding event. 12 4.5 Middle Bronze Age ? Land surface6.4 Palaeo-Environmental Summary 6.4.1 Environmental remains were sparse, indicating that the excavated features were possibly not near the foci of domestic burning activity, or that such events did not occur here, or that taphonomic processes have affected preservation. Nevertheless, the presence of burnt bone and onion couch grass is reminiscent of cremation-related material, and may indicate that pyres and / or cremation burials may exist in the wider vicinity. Which at this period (Bronze Age / Iron Age), can be isolated and widespread. Flot Residue Feature Type/No. . Context No. Sample No. Size litres flot size ml Grain Chaff Weed uncharred Other charred Charcoal 5.6mm Other Charcoal 5.6mm Trench 2 205 1 10 40 10 - - c - A - -Pit [203] 206 2 2 20 5 B - - Trench 5 Posthole [506] 505 3 6 100 40 - - - A C burnt bone - Trench 6 Ditch [607] 609 4 11 55 15 - - c C C - KEY: A** = exceptional, A* = 30+ items, A = 10 items, B = 9 - 5 items, C = 5 items, (h) = hazelnuts, smb = small mammal bones; Moll-t = terrestrial molluscs Moll-f = freshwater molluscs; Analysis, C = charcoal, P = plant, M = molluscs NOTE: 1Flot is total, but flot in superscript = ml of rooty material. 2Unburned seed in lower case to Odistinguish from charred remains Table 2. Assessment of the Charred Plant Remains and Charcoal 18 7 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Table of Contents

Non Technical Summary ............................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements .........................................................................................................................iv 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................5 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND............................................................................................................5 1.2 PLANNING BACKGROUND..........................................................................................................5 1.3 SITE LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.......................................................................5 1.4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND............................................................................................6 2 PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................7 3 PROJECT METHODS.................................................................................................................7 3.1 HEALTH AND SAFETY ................................................................................................................7 3.2 METHODOLOGICAL STANDARDS...............................................................................................8 3.3 FIELDWORK ...............................................................................................................................8 3.4 FINDS COLLECTION AND RETENTION.......................................................................................9 3.5 ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING ....................................................................................................9 4 DESCRIPTION AND RESULTS...............................................................................................10 4.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................10 4.2 RELICT STREAM / PALAEO-CHANNEL AND ASSOCIATED FEATURES ....................................10 4.3 MAN MADE BANK / TERRACE.................................................................................................11
4.8 LATER DITCHES AND ASSOCIATED FEATURES.......................................................................13 4.9 MODERN TOPSOIL ...................................................................................................................14 4.10 NATURAL GEOLOGY................................................................................................................14 5 THE FINDS .................................................................................................................................14 5.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................14 5.2 POTTERY ..................................................................................................................................14 5.3 FIRED CLAY .............................................................................................................................15 5.4 OTHER FINDS ...........................................................................................................................15 Table 1: All Finds By Context (Number / weight in grammes)......................................................15 6 ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE.............................................................................................15 6.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................15 6.2 METHODS.................................................................................................................................16 6.3 RESULTS...................................................................................................................................16 Charred plant remains ..................................................................................................................16 Charcoal........................................................................................................................................16

Headings

The Chandlery
50 Westminster Bridge Road
Summary of Sequence....................................................................................................................11
4.5 MIDDLE BRONZE AGE ? LAND SURFACE ................................................................................12
11 APPENDIX 2: OASIS SUMMARY...........................................................................................27
TABLE OF FIGURES
Non Technical Summary
Acknowledgements
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION REPORT
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background
1.2 Planning Background
1.3 Site Location, Topography and Geology
1.4 Archaeological Background
3 PROJECT METHODS
3.1 Health and Safety
3.2 Methodological Standards
3.3 Fieldwork
3.3.4 All spoil was scanned for finds.
3.3.8 All exposed archaeological deposits were recorded utilising Wessex
3.4 Finds Collection and Retention
3.5 Environmental Sampling
4 DESCRIPTION AND RESULTS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Relict Stream / Palaeo-Channel and Associated Features
4.3 Man Made Bank / Terrace
4.4 Areas to the South of Bank / Terrace
Summary of Sequence
4.5 Middle Bronze Age ? Land surface
4.6 Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age Ditches
4.8 Later Ditches and Associated Features
4.9 Modern Topsoil
4.10 Natural Geology
5 THE FINDS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Pottery
5.3 Fired Clay
5.4 Other Finds
6 ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Methods
6.3 Results
Charcoal
6.4 Palaeo-Environmental Summary
7 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
8 THE ARCHIVE
9 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Construction. Use
Construction. Use
Construction. Use
Construction .Use
Construction. Use
Construction. Use
Construction. Use
Construction. Use
Disuse
Disuse
Evaluation Trench