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Report Title
Land at Victoria Allotments, West Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire: An Archaeological Field Evaluation
Publisher and Publication Year
Albion Archaeology - 2004
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Summary
Non-Technical Summary In July 2004 Albion Archaeology undertook an archaeological field evaluation on Land at Victoria Allotments, West Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire on behalf of Dunstable Town Council. The aim was to establish the extant and condition of any archaeological remains located within the study area in advance of a planning application to extend the boundaries of the current cemetery. The evaluation would also allow an appropriate mitigation strategy to be developed. The site lay close to the historic core of Dunstable. A small Roman town, known as Durocobrivis, existed at this location and developed at the crossroads of a Roman road known as Watling Street and a prehistoric routeway known as the Icknield Way. The intersection of these two routes undoubtedly made Dunstable a strategically important location for settlement and trade during all periods. Three trenches were opened comprising a total area 72.10m2 . Trench 1 was located within a grass verge located immediately adjacent to West Street (Figures 1 and 2) a short distance north-east of the existing cemetery. Trenches 2 and 3 were placed in grassed area in the north-eastern part of the cemetery (Figures 1 and 2). Within Trench 1 a series of wheel ruts were recorded, indicating the presence of a well rutted track or road which had formerly existed at this location. It is suggested that these are likely to be the remains of part of the Icknield Way which is believed to have been located along the same line as modern-day West Street. Therefore, the existence of wheel ruts on this site has added significance. Trench 2 contained a ditch from which an unabraded sherd of early Roman pottery was recovered. On this basis it is suggested that this ditch may have lined the Icknield way during the Roman period. Trench 3 contained no significant archaeological features. This evaluation has been extremely valuable in identifying a likely section of the Icknield Way, one of the oldest communication routes in Britain. By so doing it has augmented our overall knowledge of this route and its relationship with the town of Dunstable. Albion Archaeology Land at Victoria Allotments, West Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire Archaeological Field Evaluation 5 1. INTRODUCTION-----------------------------
Table of Contents
List of Figures.....................................................................................................................................2 Preface.................................................................................................................................................3 Structure of this Report.....................................................................................................................3 Key Terms...........................................................................................................................................3 Non-Technical Summary...................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 5 1.1 Planning Background ..........................................................................................................5 1.2 Site Location and Description.............................................................................................5 1.3 Archaeological Background................................................................................................6 2. TRIAL TRENCH EXCAVATION ............................................................ 10 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................10 2.2 Aims and Method Statement.............................................................................................10 2.3 Results.................................................................................................................................10 3. SYNTHESIS........................................................................................... 14 3.1 Significance of Results .......................................................................................................14 3.2 Summary.............................................................................................................................15 4. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 16Headings
5.2 Appendix 2 Artefact Summary......................................................................................23Table 1: Artefact summary by trench and context........................................................................23
Preface
Key Terms
Non-Technical Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Planning Background
1.2 Site Location and Description
1.3 Archaeological Background
1.3.1 Prehistoric (before AD43)
1.3.2 Romano-British (AD 43-410)
1.3.3 Anglo-Saxon/Danish (AD 410-1066)
1.3.4 Medieval (AD 1066-1520)
1.3.5 Post-Medieval (AD 1520-1900)
1.3.6 The Icknield Way.
2. TRIAL TRENCH EXCAVATION
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Aims and Method Statement
2.3 Results
2.3.1 Trench 1
2.3.2 Trench 2
2.3.3 Trench 3
3. SYNTHESIS
3.1 Significance of Results
3.2 Summary
4. BIBLIOGRAPHY
5.1 Appendix 2 Artefact Summary