Jacques, D., Lyons, T., Bishop, B. and Phillips, T. In: D. Borić, D. Antonović and B. Mihailović (Eds.) Foraging Assemblages: Papers Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mesolithic in Europe, Belgrade 2015. Volume 1, 331-336 Serbian Archaeological Society. Belgrade., 2021
Excavations by the University of Buckingham on the river terrace immediately west of the Blick Me... more Excavations by the University of Buckingham on the river terrace immediately west of the Blick Mead spring, which has preserved substantial Mesolithic deposits, provide evidence for the first Mesolithic residential and activity area to be discovered within the Stonehenge World Heritage site area. This report outlines the discoveries and concludes with a review of the Blick Mead site and its wider significance
Roberts, D. et al. Middle Neolithic pits and a burial at West Amesbury, Wiltshire, Archaeological Journal 177 (2), 167-213.
Excavations on the southeastern slopes of King Barrow Ridge, 1.5 km east of Stonehenge, revealed ... more Excavations on the southeastern slopes of King Barrow Ridge, 1.5 km east of Stonehenge, revealed five pits, a grave and other features of Middle Neolithic date. Analysis of the pit assemblages and the partial inhumation interred in the grave has provided insights into lifeways in this landscape in the late fourth millennium cal BC. Evidence suggests that the area was visited by a pastoralist, mobile community on a semi-regular basis for a significant period, in late autumn or winter. Selected remnants of craft-working and consumption were deposited in pits, before deliberate infilling. These depositions repeatedly memorialised activity on the hillside at a time of contemporary activity elsewhere on King Barrow Ridge and at the future site of Stonehenge. Middle Neolithic pits are present in significant numbers across King Barrow Ridge, and alongside pits in the Durrington area, form one of the densest concentrations of such activity in the region. Long distance mobility is suggested by the possible Irish origins of the inhumation, the first Middle Neolithic individual excavated in the environs of Stonehenge. Whilst of significance for understanding the Middle Neolithic in the WHS and the region, this research also hints at the roots of Late Neolithic monumentalisation of this landscape.
Bishop, B. et al. 2019. Flintworking in the Middle Neolithic: techniques, technologies and deposition on Salisbury Plain in the late 4th Millennium BC.Lithics: the Journal of the Lithic Studies Society 40: 1-36., 2020
Excavations at West Amesbury Farm to the east of Stonehenge resulted in the recovery of a large a... more Excavations at West Amesbury Farm to the east of Stonehenge resulted in the recovery of a large and nationally important struck flint assemblage from five pits securely dated, by radiocarbon and their contained assemblages of Peterborough Ware, to the final centuries of the fourth millennium BC. The sheer quantity of material recovered from the pits (11,329 individual pieces) is notable and it constitutes one of the largest Middle Neolithic assemblages to have been examined in any detail from southern Britain to date. This paper provides an account of the technological and typological characteristics of the assemblages, exploring similarities and contrasts between the individual assemblages recovered from the different pits and their various fills, and places this tradition of flintworking into its wider context.
In: S. Paul, K. Colls and H.P. Chapman, Living with the Flood: Mesolithic to post-medieval archaeological remains at Mill Lane, Sawston, Cambridgeshire – a wetland/dryland interface, 29-38. Oxbow, 2015
The excavations conducted during 2008 and 2009 at the site
resulted in the recovery of 1,027 piec... more The excavations conducted during 2008 and 2009 at the site resulted in the recovery of 1,027 pieces of struck flint and 2.5kg of burnt flint fragments (a full catalogue of the material by context is provided in Appendix 1). Approximately threequarters of the struck flint, and nearly all of the burnt flint, was recovered from a variety of features and deposits that have been dated to the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods, with the remainder coming from later features where it had been residually deposited. Even with the material from the prehistoric deposits, it appears that a significant proportion had become incorporated from earlier activity and does not directly relate to the contexts from which it was recovered. The assemblage may be regarded as moderately large given the size of the areas investigated. Retouched pieces account for 3.6% of the overall assemblage and cores 2.4%. It contained pieces representing all stages in the reduction sequence, from rejected ‘tested’ pieces and decortication flakes, to used and worn-out tools (see Table 4.1). It was evident that flint raw materials were procured and converted to tools and that those were being used and discarded at the site. Chronologically diagnostic pieces and the general technological character of the assemblage indicate that a significant proportion belongs to the Mesolithic and early Neolithic periods, although flintwork that both pre- and post-dates this is also present.
Excavations at West Borough School, Maidstone (Site 1) produced a cache of polished flint from a ... more Excavations at West Borough School, Maidstone (Site 1) produced a cache of polished flint from a Middle to Late Bronze Age ditch
In: E. Stafford, Landscape and Prehistory of the East London Wetlands: investigations along the A13 DBFO roadscheme, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham, 2000-2003, 172-192. Oxford Archaeology Monograph 17., 2012
Struck flint and burnt flint was recovered from three
of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway S... more Struck flint and burnt flint was recovered from three of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway Scheme that witnessed extensive excavation: Prince Regent Lane, (PRL),Woolwich Manor Way (WML) and Movers Lane (ML).
Bishop, B., Cotton, J. and Humphrey, R. 2017 Mesolithic Activity and Early Neolithic Earthworks at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road, Hounslow. Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 68, 1-40., 2017
Archaeological investigations at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road revealed evidence relating to the Mesolith... more Archaeological investigations at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road revealed evidence relating to the Mesolithic (c.9600-c.4100 bc), and Early Neolithic (c.4100-c.3400 bc) periods. The earliest activity is represented by the production and use of struck flint during the Mesolithic period which occurred adjacent to a small stream that flowed into the Thames. Close by were pits that may have been in use at the same time, which if so would represent rare evidence for the use of deliberately cut features during the Mesolithic. In the Early Neolithic a sequence of large ditches, some containing rich artefactual assemblages, were dug. The full extent and nature of these features could not be ascertained as they extended beyond the limits of excavation. Nevertheless, their considerable size suggests possible ceremonial or monumental activity and their artefactual assemblages represent significant additions to the understanding of the Neolithic within Greater London. Following their infilling, further prehistoric activity of a more domestic character was recorded; occupation was represented by small-scale pitting, plus scattered post-and stakeholes.
Green, C.P., Gibbard, P.L. and Bishop, B.J. 2004 Stoke Newington: geoarchaeology of the Palaeolithic ‘floor’. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 115, 193 – 207., 2004
The archaeological importance of Stoke Newington lies in the recognition there in the nineteenth ... more The archaeological importance of Stoke Newington lies in the recognition there in the nineteenth century of a Palaeolithic occupation horizon. Several attempts have been made in the last thirty years to relocate this horizon, but without success. A review of the nineteenth century accounts and of more recent investigations suggests that any evidence of Palaeolithic occupation is unlikely to be present as a simple, unique and readily traceable surface. The findings point to occupation, probably episodic, within Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9) during a period of fluvial aggradation. The evidence also suggests that the height range of the aggradational sediments, termed here the Stoke Newington Sands, is overlapped by sediments of a later and separate MIS 9 aggradation comprising the Highbury Silts and Sands, and by Late Devensian and Holocene sediments of the Hackney Brook, giving rise to a complex local stratigraphy.
The title of this paper, as many readers may remember, borrows from that of a paper published in ... more The title of this paper, as many readers may remember, borrows from that of a paper published in the 1990 volume of Lithics. That was by Hazel Martingell and it described her research into a little-considered type of flake, the 'squat' flake, which she had increasingly become aware of amongst the lithic collections of Essex. This report describes a further type of flake; one that exhibits many similarities to those described by Hazel Martingell. These share very similar technological and morphological characteristics but there are also very noticeable and important differences. The first, perhaps of little significance but reflected in the title, is that they were found in Kent, another, of much greater significance, was that many had been highly polished. So far as is known by this author, no other examples of these types of flakes have hitherto been recorded from Britain.
Bishop, B.J. 2017 Lithic Analysis. In: A. Valdez-Tullett and D. Roberts, Archaeological Investigation of a Square Enclosure on King Barrow Ridge, Amesbury, Wiltshire, 14 - 16. Historic England Research Report 58/2017. 14–16., 2017
The Research Report Series incorporates reports by Historic England's expert teams and other rese... more The Research Report Series incorporates reports by Historic England's expert teams and other researchers. It replaces the former Centre for Archaeology Reports Series, the Archaeological Investigation Report Series, the Architectural Investigation Report Series, and the Research Department Report Series. Many of the Research Reports are of an interim nature and serve to make available the results of specialist investigations in advance of full publication. They are not usually subject to external refereeing, and their conclusions may sometimes have to be modified in the light of information not available at the time of the investigation. Where no final project report is available, readers must consult the author before citing these reports in any publication.
In: R. Brown, S. Teague, L. Loe, B. Sudds and E. Popescu, Excavations at Stoke Quay, Ipswich. Southern Gipeswic and the parish of At Augustine, 455-458. East Anglian Archaeology 172., 2020
Bishop, B.J. 2002 A Bout Coupé Handaxe from Enfield in the lower Lea Valley. Lithics 23, 43-47., 2002
This report describes and discusses a Palaeolithic handaxe recovered from a Neolithic ditch durin... more This report describes and discusses a Palaeolithic handaxe recovered from a Neolithic ditch during an excavation conducted at Plevna Road, Lower Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield (TQ 3450 9345: site code PVA 99).
The excavations were conducted by Pre-Construct Archaeology between August and November 1999 and revealed evidence of occupation dating from the Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age, the findings of which will be reported elsewhere (Bishop, forthcoming).
Bishop, B., Leary, J. and Robins, P. 2011 Introducing the ‘Long Tailed Oblique’ Arrowhead: examples from Marden Henge, Wiltshire, and Santon Warren, Norfolk. Past: The Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 68, 1-2., 2011
Seager Thomas, M. with S. Barrowman, B. Bishop, K. Le Hegerat and K. Reilly 2014 A Regionally Important Early Iron Age Pottery Group: the Manor Farm Pub Site, High Street, Rainham. Archaeologia Cantiana 135, 47 – 73., 2014
In: Malloy, T. Bronze Age Funerary and Later Prehistoric Activity at Badminston Farm, Fawley, Hampshire, 12-13. Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club Archaeological Society, 76, 1-34.
Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 ... more Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 and 2010 at Badminston Farm, Fawley, on the eastern edge of the New Forest, adjacent to Southampton Water. The excavations identified evidence of nearcontinuous human activity from the early prehistoric period to the present day. Mesolithic activity was followed by Early Bronze Age pits, containing 'placed' flint assemblages. Evidence of Bronze Age funerary activity included deflated barrows/ring ditches, and associated cremations. Late Bronze Age ceramics were absent but a hoard of 68 Armorican-type socketed axes may have been a votive offering marking the 'ancestral' barrow which would have been visible here. Other Bronze Age evidence included two burnt mounds and an ill-defined structure possibly associated with weaving. Iron Age activity was represented by a number of pits containing domestic pottery, while Late Iron Age and Romano-British ditches may have formed part of an enclosure. A significant assemblage of non-local worked stone attests to long distance exchange, and the possibility of a nearby farmstead. Medieval activity was represented by pits, ditches and stakeholes, with some evidence of an enclosure or structure associated with grain drying. Later land divisions and a WWII radio communication station dominated more recent use of the site.
Haslam, A., Bishop, B. and Seager Thomas, M. 2008 Prehistoric Activity in the Medway Valley: a Middle Bronze Age site at Sittingbourne. Kent Archaeological Society eArchaeological Reports, http://www.kentarchaeology.ac/archrep/sittingbourne01.pdf, 2008
In: P. Boyer, Archaeological Investigations at 70 Station Road, West Drayton, 15-19. Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 67, 1–35, 2016
Between January and May 2013 archaeological investigations were undertaken at 70 Station Road, We... more Between January and May 2013 archaeological investigations were undertaken at 70 Station Road, West Drayton in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The work demonstrated the presence of extensive archaeological deposits across the site, of later prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date. Although there was probably a transient presence here as early as the Mesolithic, the earliest definable activity appears to have dated to the Later Neolithic and was represented by two parallel, linear ditches that ran across the western part of the property. This was followed during the Middle Bronze Age by the construction of an oval, segmented enclosure. A subsequent phase of activity during the Late Bronze Age saw the creation of a large, rectangular double-ditched enclosure, with several associated features suggesting occupation. Later prehistoric activity, probably dating to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age, was also detected. There was nothing further of significance on site until about the time of the Norman Conquest, when linear ditches were excavated and several timber structures, possibly houses, were built. In the middle of the 13th century its purpose appears to have shifted from domestic to agricultural and it is possible that a farmstead was established here. Occupation continued into the postmedieval period, with the archaeological evidence demonstrating activity up until the early 20th century. Maps show that by 1828 the site was occupied by a farmyard which was latterly attached to Rooks Farm.
Jacques, D., Lyons, T., Bishop, B. and Phillips, T. In: D. Borić, D. Antonović and B. Mihailović (Eds.) Foraging Assemblages: Papers Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mesolithic in Europe, Belgrade 2015. Volume 1, 331-336 Serbian Archaeological Society. Belgrade., 2021
Excavations by the University of Buckingham on the river terrace immediately west of the Blick Me... more Excavations by the University of Buckingham on the river terrace immediately west of the Blick Mead spring, which has preserved substantial Mesolithic deposits, provide evidence for the first Mesolithic residential and activity area to be discovered within the Stonehenge World Heritage site area. This report outlines the discoveries and concludes with a review of the Blick Mead site and its wider significance
Roberts, D. et al. Middle Neolithic pits and a burial at West Amesbury, Wiltshire, Archaeological Journal 177 (2), 167-213.
Excavations on the southeastern slopes of King Barrow Ridge, 1.5 km east of Stonehenge, revealed ... more Excavations on the southeastern slopes of King Barrow Ridge, 1.5 km east of Stonehenge, revealed five pits, a grave and other features of Middle Neolithic date. Analysis of the pit assemblages and the partial inhumation interred in the grave has provided insights into lifeways in this landscape in the late fourth millennium cal BC. Evidence suggests that the area was visited by a pastoralist, mobile community on a semi-regular basis for a significant period, in late autumn or winter. Selected remnants of craft-working and consumption were deposited in pits, before deliberate infilling. These depositions repeatedly memorialised activity on the hillside at a time of contemporary activity elsewhere on King Barrow Ridge and at the future site of Stonehenge. Middle Neolithic pits are present in significant numbers across King Barrow Ridge, and alongside pits in the Durrington area, form one of the densest concentrations of such activity in the region. Long distance mobility is suggested by the possible Irish origins of the inhumation, the first Middle Neolithic individual excavated in the environs of Stonehenge. Whilst of significance for understanding the Middle Neolithic in the WHS and the region, this research also hints at the roots of Late Neolithic monumentalisation of this landscape.
Bishop, B. et al. 2019. Flintworking in the Middle Neolithic: techniques, technologies and deposition on Salisbury Plain in the late 4th Millennium BC.Lithics: the Journal of the Lithic Studies Society 40: 1-36., 2020
Excavations at West Amesbury Farm to the east of Stonehenge resulted in the recovery of a large a... more Excavations at West Amesbury Farm to the east of Stonehenge resulted in the recovery of a large and nationally important struck flint assemblage from five pits securely dated, by radiocarbon and their contained assemblages of Peterborough Ware, to the final centuries of the fourth millennium BC. The sheer quantity of material recovered from the pits (11,329 individual pieces) is notable and it constitutes one of the largest Middle Neolithic assemblages to have been examined in any detail from southern Britain to date. This paper provides an account of the technological and typological characteristics of the assemblages, exploring similarities and contrasts between the individual assemblages recovered from the different pits and their various fills, and places this tradition of flintworking into its wider context.
In: S. Paul, K. Colls and H.P. Chapman, Living with the Flood: Mesolithic to post-medieval archaeological remains at Mill Lane, Sawston, Cambridgeshire – a wetland/dryland interface, 29-38. Oxbow, 2015
The excavations conducted during 2008 and 2009 at the site
resulted in the recovery of 1,027 piec... more The excavations conducted during 2008 and 2009 at the site resulted in the recovery of 1,027 pieces of struck flint and 2.5kg of burnt flint fragments (a full catalogue of the material by context is provided in Appendix 1). Approximately threequarters of the struck flint, and nearly all of the burnt flint, was recovered from a variety of features and deposits that have been dated to the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods, with the remainder coming from later features where it had been residually deposited. Even with the material from the prehistoric deposits, it appears that a significant proportion had become incorporated from earlier activity and does not directly relate to the contexts from which it was recovered. The assemblage may be regarded as moderately large given the size of the areas investigated. Retouched pieces account for 3.6% of the overall assemblage and cores 2.4%. It contained pieces representing all stages in the reduction sequence, from rejected ‘tested’ pieces and decortication flakes, to used and worn-out tools (see Table 4.1). It was evident that flint raw materials were procured and converted to tools and that those were being used and discarded at the site. Chronologically diagnostic pieces and the general technological character of the assemblage indicate that a significant proportion belongs to the Mesolithic and early Neolithic periods, although flintwork that both pre- and post-dates this is also present.
Excavations at West Borough School, Maidstone (Site 1) produced a cache of polished flint from a ... more Excavations at West Borough School, Maidstone (Site 1) produced a cache of polished flint from a Middle to Late Bronze Age ditch
In: E. Stafford, Landscape and Prehistory of the East London Wetlands: investigations along the A13 DBFO roadscheme, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham, 2000-2003, 172-192. Oxford Archaeology Monograph 17., 2012
Struck flint and burnt flint was recovered from three
of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway S... more Struck flint and burnt flint was recovered from three of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway Scheme that witnessed extensive excavation: Prince Regent Lane, (PRL),Woolwich Manor Way (WML) and Movers Lane (ML).
Bishop, B., Cotton, J. and Humphrey, R. 2017 Mesolithic Activity and Early Neolithic Earthworks at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road, Hounslow. Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 68, 1-40., 2017
Archaeological investigations at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road revealed evidence relating to the Mesolith... more Archaeological investigations at 41-42 Kew Bridge Road revealed evidence relating to the Mesolithic (c.9600-c.4100 bc), and Early Neolithic (c.4100-c.3400 bc) periods. The earliest activity is represented by the production and use of struck flint during the Mesolithic period which occurred adjacent to a small stream that flowed into the Thames. Close by were pits that may have been in use at the same time, which if so would represent rare evidence for the use of deliberately cut features during the Mesolithic. In the Early Neolithic a sequence of large ditches, some containing rich artefactual assemblages, were dug. The full extent and nature of these features could not be ascertained as they extended beyond the limits of excavation. Nevertheless, their considerable size suggests possible ceremonial or monumental activity and their artefactual assemblages represent significant additions to the understanding of the Neolithic within Greater London. Following their infilling, further prehistoric activity of a more domestic character was recorded; occupation was represented by small-scale pitting, plus scattered post-and stakeholes.
Green, C.P., Gibbard, P.L. and Bishop, B.J. 2004 Stoke Newington: geoarchaeology of the Palaeolithic ‘floor’. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 115, 193 – 207., 2004
The archaeological importance of Stoke Newington lies in the recognition there in the nineteenth ... more The archaeological importance of Stoke Newington lies in the recognition there in the nineteenth century of a Palaeolithic occupation horizon. Several attempts have been made in the last thirty years to relocate this horizon, but without success. A review of the nineteenth century accounts and of more recent investigations suggests that any evidence of Palaeolithic occupation is unlikely to be present as a simple, unique and readily traceable surface. The findings point to occupation, probably episodic, within Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9) during a period of fluvial aggradation. The evidence also suggests that the height range of the aggradational sediments, termed here the Stoke Newington Sands, is overlapped by sediments of a later and separate MIS 9 aggradation comprising the Highbury Silts and Sands, and by Late Devensian and Holocene sediments of the Hackney Brook, giving rise to a complex local stratigraphy.
The title of this paper, as many readers may remember, borrows from that of a paper published in ... more The title of this paper, as many readers may remember, borrows from that of a paper published in the 1990 volume of Lithics. That was by Hazel Martingell and it described her research into a little-considered type of flake, the 'squat' flake, which she had increasingly become aware of amongst the lithic collections of Essex. This report describes a further type of flake; one that exhibits many similarities to those described by Hazel Martingell. These share very similar technological and morphological characteristics but there are also very noticeable and important differences. The first, perhaps of little significance but reflected in the title, is that they were found in Kent, another, of much greater significance, was that many had been highly polished. So far as is known by this author, no other examples of these types of flakes have hitherto been recorded from Britain.
Bishop, B.J. 2017 Lithic Analysis. In: A. Valdez-Tullett and D. Roberts, Archaeological Investigation of a Square Enclosure on King Barrow Ridge, Amesbury, Wiltshire, 14 - 16. Historic England Research Report 58/2017. 14–16., 2017
The Research Report Series incorporates reports by Historic England's expert teams and other rese... more The Research Report Series incorporates reports by Historic England's expert teams and other researchers. It replaces the former Centre for Archaeology Reports Series, the Archaeological Investigation Report Series, the Architectural Investigation Report Series, and the Research Department Report Series. Many of the Research Reports are of an interim nature and serve to make available the results of specialist investigations in advance of full publication. They are not usually subject to external refereeing, and their conclusions may sometimes have to be modified in the light of information not available at the time of the investigation. Where no final project report is available, readers must consult the author before citing these reports in any publication.
In: R. Brown, S. Teague, L. Loe, B. Sudds and E. Popescu, Excavations at Stoke Quay, Ipswich. Southern Gipeswic and the parish of At Augustine, 455-458. East Anglian Archaeology 172., 2020
Bishop, B.J. 2002 A Bout Coupé Handaxe from Enfield in the lower Lea Valley. Lithics 23, 43-47., 2002
This report describes and discusses a Palaeolithic handaxe recovered from a Neolithic ditch durin... more This report describes and discusses a Palaeolithic handaxe recovered from a Neolithic ditch during an excavation conducted at Plevna Road, Lower Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield (TQ 3450 9345: site code PVA 99).
The excavations were conducted by Pre-Construct Archaeology between August and November 1999 and revealed evidence of occupation dating from the Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age, the findings of which will be reported elsewhere (Bishop, forthcoming).
Bishop, B., Leary, J. and Robins, P. 2011 Introducing the ‘Long Tailed Oblique’ Arrowhead: examples from Marden Henge, Wiltshire, and Santon Warren, Norfolk. Past: The Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society 68, 1-2., 2011
Seager Thomas, M. with S. Barrowman, B. Bishop, K. Le Hegerat and K. Reilly 2014 A Regionally Important Early Iron Age Pottery Group: the Manor Farm Pub Site, High Street, Rainham. Archaeologia Cantiana 135, 47 – 73., 2014
In: Malloy, T. Bronze Age Funerary and Later Prehistoric Activity at Badminston Farm, Fawley, Hampshire, 12-13. Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club Archaeological Society, 76, 1-34.
Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 ... more Archaeological excavations were undertaken by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd. between 1999 and 2010 at Badminston Farm, Fawley, on the eastern edge of the New Forest, adjacent to Southampton Water. The excavations identified evidence of nearcontinuous human activity from the early prehistoric period to the present day. Mesolithic activity was followed by Early Bronze Age pits, containing 'placed' flint assemblages. Evidence of Bronze Age funerary activity included deflated barrows/ring ditches, and associated cremations. Late Bronze Age ceramics were absent but a hoard of 68 Armorican-type socketed axes may have been a votive offering marking the 'ancestral' barrow which would have been visible here. Other Bronze Age evidence included two burnt mounds and an ill-defined structure possibly associated with weaving. Iron Age activity was represented by a number of pits containing domestic pottery, while Late Iron Age and Romano-British ditches may have formed part of an enclosure. A significant assemblage of non-local worked stone attests to long distance exchange, and the possibility of a nearby farmstead. Medieval activity was represented by pits, ditches and stakeholes, with some evidence of an enclosure or structure associated with grain drying. Later land divisions and a WWII radio communication station dominated more recent use of the site.
Haslam, A., Bishop, B. and Seager Thomas, M. 2008 Prehistoric Activity in the Medway Valley: a Middle Bronze Age site at Sittingbourne. Kent Archaeological Society eArchaeological Reports, http://www.kentarchaeology.ac/archrep/sittingbourne01.pdf, 2008
In: P. Boyer, Archaeological Investigations at 70 Station Road, West Drayton, 15-19. Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 67, 1–35, 2016
Between January and May 2013 archaeological investigations were undertaken at 70 Station Road, We... more Between January and May 2013 archaeological investigations were undertaken at 70 Station Road, West Drayton in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The work demonstrated the presence of extensive archaeological deposits across the site, of later prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date. Although there was probably a transient presence here as early as the Mesolithic, the earliest definable activity appears to have dated to the Later Neolithic and was represented by two parallel, linear ditches that ran across the western part of the property. This was followed during the Middle Bronze Age by the construction of an oval, segmented enclosure. A subsequent phase of activity during the Late Bronze Age saw the creation of a large, rectangular double-ditched enclosure, with several associated features suggesting occupation. Later prehistoric activity, probably dating to the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age, was also detected. There was nothing further of significance on site until about the time of the Norman Conquest, when linear ditches were excavated and several timber structures, possibly houses, were built. In the middle of the 13th century its purpose appears to have shifted from domestic to agricultural and it is possible that a farmstead was established here. Occupation continued into the postmedieval period, with the archaeological evidence demonstrating activity up until the early 20th century. Maps show that by 1828 the site was occupied by a farmyard which was latterly attached to Rooks Farm.
Uploads
resulted in the recovery of 1,027 pieces of struck flint and
2.5kg of burnt flint fragments (a full catalogue of the material
by context is provided in Appendix 1). Approximately threequarters
of the struck flint, and nearly all of the burnt flint,
was recovered from a variety of features and deposits that
have been dated to the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods,
with the remainder coming from later features where it had
been residually deposited. Even with the material from the
prehistoric deposits, it appears that a significant proportion
had become incorporated from earlier activity and does not
directly relate to the contexts from which it was recovered.
The assemblage may be regarded as moderately large
given the size of the areas investigated. Retouched pieces
account for 3.6% of the overall assemblage and cores 2.4%.
It contained pieces representing all stages in the reduction
sequence, from rejected ‘tested’ pieces and decortication
flakes, to used and worn-out tools (see Table 4.1). It was
evident that flint raw materials were procured and converted
to tools and that those were being used and discarded at
the site. Chronologically diagnostic pieces and the general
technological character of the assemblage indicate that a
significant proportion belongs to the Mesolithic and early
Neolithic periods, although flintwork that both pre- and
post-dates this is also present.
of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway Scheme
that witnessed extensive excavation: Prince Regent
Lane, (PRL),Woolwich Manor Way (WML) and
Movers Lane (ML).
The excavations were conducted by Pre-Construct Archaeology between August and November 1999 and revealed evidence of occupation dating from the Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age, the findings of which will be reported elsewhere (Bishop, forthcoming).
resulted in the recovery of 1,027 pieces of struck flint and
2.5kg of burnt flint fragments (a full catalogue of the material
by context is provided in Appendix 1). Approximately threequarters
of the struck flint, and nearly all of the burnt flint,
was recovered from a variety of features and deposits that
have been dated to the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods,
with the remainder coming from later features where it had
been residually deposited. Even with the material from the
prehistoric deposits, it appears that a significant proportion
had become incorporated from earlier activity and does not
directly relate to the contexts from which it was recovered.
The assemblage may be regarded as moderately large
given the size of the areas investigated. Retouched pieces
account for 3.6% of the overall assemblage and cores 2.4%.
It contained pieces representing all stages in the reduction
sequence, from rejected ‘tested’ pieces and decortication
flakes, to used and worn-out tools (see Table 4.1). It was
evident that flint raw materials were procured and converted
to tools and that those were being used and discarded at
the site. Chronologically diagnostic pieces and the general
technological character of the assemblage indicate that a
significant proportion belongs to the Mesolithic and early
Neolithic periods, although flintwork that both pre- and
post-dates this is also present.
of the sites along the A13 Thames Gateway Scheme
that witnessed extensive excavation: Prince Regent
Lane, (PRL),Woolwich Manor Way (WML) and
Movers Lane (ML).
The excavations were conducted by Pre-Construct Archaeology between August and November 1999 and revealed evidence of occupation dating from the Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age, the findings of which will be reported elsewhere (Bishop, forthcoming).