011AB10003     Enclosure Ditch North                                                Back to the main Document

   

Discussion

This is the northern section of the latest phase of the large enclosure system, which extends from to the stream channel in the east, before turning to the south. The cut numbers are indicated in red.

As with the earlier enclosure (011AB10005), this phase has an entrance in the northern extension. The entrance area has a number of stratigraphic relationships, with this phase cutting through an earlier system (011AB?????) which only survives in this area, and then cut by an Anglian slot (011AB?????). This phase also cut through the earliest phase of the system (011AB10004). The ditch is very shallow along most of its northern extension, eventually tapering out in the east. It is cut into the natural chalk and chalk gravel, and is filled with a dark, sandy material in the east (Munsell 10/YR/34). Towards the west, section 011AB00196 shows evidence of a recut in the north, which is less visible in section 011AB00103. Here the fill is generally a sandy loam (Munsell 10/YR/34).

Section 011AB000181 contained the only cat bone found in the entire ditch. Section 011AB00089 was notable for containing eight dog bones. It may be significant that this deposit was situated at the northern entrance to the enclosure. Section 011AB00065 contained part of a human tibia.

Demonstrating the amount of disturbance in this area is ditch section 011AB000196, which contained pottery sherds of Iron Age, Roman and Medieval dates, as well as some unassigned pottery sherds.