Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society 78, 2023
During the autumn of 2011 Archaeology South-East (ASE), Institute of Archaeology, University Coll... more During the autumn of 2011 Archaeology South-East (ASE), Institute of Archaeology, University College London, was commissioned by 4Delivery Limited to conduct archaeological investigations at Overton Wastewater Treatment Works in advance of the construction of an extension to the north of the existing facility. The excavations revealed evidence of prehistoric activity, most notably two groups of pits containing Beaker material dating to the Early Bronze Age.
A small-scale archaeological excavation was undertaken at Park View, The Street, Sedlescombe, Ea... more A small-scale archaeological excavation was undertaken at Park View, The Street, Sedlescombe, East Sussex, following an evaluation of the site by trialtrenching. A scatter of prehistoric and Romano-British material was recovered, but the earliest features recorded dated from the medieval period. The most significant deposits encountered were the remains of a post-medieval tannery.
The palaeoenvironmental history of the site was characterised through the recovery of sediment cores, suggesting the long term accumulation of organic deposits (peats) before more active alluviation after the beginning of the early medieval period.
Council for British Archaeology South-East Newsletter, 2020
With the help of another generous grant from CBASE, Archaeology South-East was able to organise a... more With the help of another generous grant from CBASE, Archaeology South-East was able to organise a fourth season of archaeological investigation at Little Stiances, Newick, East Sussex.
Large-scale excavations on the edge of Peacehaven, East Sussex, have considerably advanced unders... more Large-scale excavations on the edge of Peacehaven, East Sussex, have considerably advanced understanding of this block of downland landscape from the early prehistoric period onwards.
Three recent excavations, the findings of which are presented here, are located close by and compliment the published research (Hart 2015), allowing further consideration of the local downland landscape though time. The earliest material consisted of a residual struck flint of palaeolithic date and a background scatter of residual flintwork from the overburden, suggesting hunter/gatherer activity in the mesolithic and early neolithic periods. The first human activity to leave a lasting mark on the landscape was the digging and deliberate backfilling of a series of pits containing small assemblages of neolithic pottery and flintwork.
Limited stratigraphic relationships and differing morphology suggest two phases of activity during this broad period. In the Late Bronze Age, ditches forming part of a field system and/or droveway were laid out across the landscape. These were superseded by a series of Middle Iron Age droveways and a small number of pits. A realignment of the droveway gullies, which contained both Middle Iron Age material and small amounts of Romano-British pottery, suggests that this longstanding route across the downland was still in use in the 1st century AD. A small group of pits is thought to be contemporary with the last use of the routeways at that time.
After this, the land seems to have reverted to open downland, with little deposition of archaeological material.
Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society 78, 2023
During the autumn of 2011 Archaeology South-East (ASE), Institute of Archaeology, University Coll... more During the autumn of 2011 Archaeology South-East (ASE), Institute of Archaeology, University College London, was commissioned by 4Delivery Limited to conduct archaeological investigations at Overton Wastewater Treatment Works in advance of the construction of an extension to the north of the existing facility. The excavations revealed evidence of prehistoric activity, most notably two groups of pits containing Beaker material dating to the Early Bronze Age.
A small-scale archaeological excavation was undertaken at Park View, The Street, Sedlescombe, Ea... more A small-scale archaeological excavation was undertaken at Park View, The Street, Sedlescombe, East Sussex, following an evaluation of the site by trialtrenching. A scatter of prehistoric and Romano-British material was recovered, but the earliest features recorded dated from the medieval period. The most significant deposits encountered were the remains of a post-medieval tannery.
The palaeoenvironmental history of the site was characterised through the recovery of sediment cores, suggesting the long term accumulation of organic deposits (peats) before more active alluviation after the beginning of the early medieval period.
Council for British Archaeology South-East Newsletter, 2020
With the help of another generous grant from CBASE, Archaeology South-East was able to organise a... more With the help of another generous grant from CBASE, Archaeology South-East was able to organise a fourth season of archaeological investigation at Little Stiances, Newick, East Sussex.
Large-scale excavations on the edge of Peacehaven, East Sussex, have considerably advanced unders... more Large-scale excavations on the edge of Peacehaven, East Sussex, have considerably advanced understanding of this block of downland landscape from the early prehistoric period onwards.
Three recent excavations, the findings of which are presented here, are located close by and compliment the published research (Hart 2015), allowing further consideration of the local downland landscape though time. The earliest material consisted of a residual struck flint of palaeolithic date and a background scatter of residual flintwork from the overburden, suggesting hunter/gatherer activity in the mesolithic and early neolithic periods. The first human activity to leave a lasting mark on the landscape was the digging and deliberate backfilling of a series of pits containing small assemblages of neolithic pottery and flintwork.
Limited stratigraphic relationships and differing morphology suggest two phases of activity during this broad period. In the Late Bronze Age, ditches forming part of a field system and/or droveway were laid out across the landscape. These were superseded by a series of Middle Iron Age droveways and a small number of pits. A realignment of the droveway gullies, which contained both Middle Iron Age material and small amounts of Romano-British pottery, suggests that this longstanding route across the downland was still in use in the 1st century AD. A small group of pits is thought to be contemporary with the last use of the routeways at that time.
After this, the land seems to have reverted to open downland, with little deposition of archaeological material.
‘The secret Weald’ of Puck’s Song (Kipling 1906) is manifest not just in the physical environment... more ‘The secret Weald’ of Puck’s Song (Kipling 1906) is manifest not just in the physical environment of the region but also in the time depth apparent in the area’s countryside. The Weald comprises one of the most important historic landscapes in southern England, but until recently the archaeology of the area has been little understood or trialled through excavation. That is now changing, and the sites presented here are key in that process. Their results show remains of settlement dating back to the Bronze Age; however, even older artefacts were recovered, belonging to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. In terms of the geographical areas covered, sites were excavated in the depths of the Low Weald at Billingshurst and Southwater as well as on the region’s boundary with the Greensand Ridge at Hurstpierpoint. At Penlands Farm, Haywards Heath, the excavation was located on the edge of the High Weald. Collectively, these investigations demonstrate increasing levels of settlement during prehistory, followed by a Roman period characterised by initial continuity and subsequent Romanisation. The medieval evidence is illustrative of a Saxo-Norman and high medieval reconquest of the Weald following an early medieval seasonal phase of settlement that is difficult to detect archaeologically. The continuing phenomenon of a historic landscape showing enduring alignments of field boundaries and trackways is explored.
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Wastewater Treatment Works in advance of the construction of an extension to the north of the existing facility. The excavations revealed evidence of prehistoric activity, most notably two groups of pits containing
Beaker material dating to the Early Bronze Age.
The palaeoenvironmental history of the site was characterised through the recovery of sediment cores, suggesting the long term accumulation of organic deposits (peats) before more active alluviation after the beginning of the early medieval period.
Three recent excavations, the findings of which are presented here, are located close by and compliment the published research (Hart 2015), allowing further consideration of the local downland landscape though time. The earliest material consisted of a residual struck flint of palaeolithic date and a background scatter of residual flintwork from the overburden, suggesting hunter/gatherer activity in the mesolithic and early neolithic periods. The first human activity to leave a lasting mark on the landscape was the digging and deliberate backfilling of a series of pits containing small assemblages of neolithic pottery and flintwork.
Limited stratigraphic relationships and differing morphology suggest two phases of activity during this broad period. In the Late Bronze Age, ditches forming part of a field system and/or droveway were laid out across the landscape. These were superseded by a series of Middle Iron Age droveways and a small number of pits. A realignment of the droveway gullies, which contained both Middle Iron Age material and small amounts of Romano-British pottery, suggests that this longstanding route across the downland was still in use in the 1st century AD. A small group of pits is thought to be contemporary with the last use of the routeways at that time.
After this, the land seems to have reverted to open downland, with little deposition of archaeological material.
Wastewater Treatment Works in advance of the construction of an extension to the north of the existing facility. The excavations revealed evidence of prehistoric activity, most notably two groups of pits containing
Beaker material dating to the Early Bronze Age.
The palaeoenvironmental history of the site was characterised through the recovery of sediment cores, suggesting the long term accumulation of organic deposits (peats) before more active alluviation after the beginning of the early medieval period.
Three recent excavations, the findings of which are presented here, are located close by and compliment the published research (Hart 2015), allowing further consideration of the local downland landscape though time. The earliest material consisted of a residual struck flint of palaeolithic date and a background scatter of residual flintwork from the overburden, suggesting hunter/gatherer activity in the mesolithic and early neolithic periods. The first human activity to leave a lasting mark on the landscape was the digging and deliberate backfilling of a series of pits containing small assemblages of neolithic pottery and flintwork.
Limited stratigraphic relationships and differing morphology suggest two phases of activity during this broad period. In the Late Bronze Age, ditches forming part of a field system and/or droveway were laid out across the landscape. These were superseded by a series of Middle Iron Age droveways and a small number of pits. A realignment of the droveway gullies, which contained both Middle Iron Age material and small amounts of Romano-British pottery, suggests that this longstanding route across the downland was still in use in the 1st century AD. A small group of pits is thought to be contemporary with the last use of the routeways at that time.
After this, the land seems to have reverted to open downland, with little deposition of archaeological material.
In terms of the geographical areas covered, sites were excavated in the depths of the Low Weald at Billingshurst and Southwater as well as on the region’s boundary with the Greensand Ridge at Hurstpierpoint. At Penlands Farm, Haywards Heath, the excavation was located on the edge of the High Weald. Collectively, these investigations demonstrate increasing levels of settlement during prehistory, followed by a Roman period characterised by initial continuity and subsequent Romanisation. The medieval evidence is illustrative of a Saxo-Norman and high medieval reconquest of the Weald following an early medieval seasonal phase of
settlement that is difficult to detect archaeologically.
The continuing phenomenon of a historic landscape showing enduring alignments of field boundaries and trackways is explored.