011AB10005            Enclosure Ditch South                                       Back to the main Document

    

 Discussion

This is the southern section of the middle phase of the large enclosure system. The relevant cut numbers are indicated in red. This section of the enclosure was generally difficult to define, due to being cut through by a number of later pits and drains, as well as being severely animal burrowed in places, but at least two phases were recognised in the field.

An entrance was situated just to the west of the line of the stream channel, consisting of 011AB00914/915 and 011AB00916/917. Very few finds or animal bones were recovered from the entrance, although a fragment of sandstone quern was recovered from the western terminal.

After a number of moves to the east, ditch segment 011AB00608/011AB00610 seems to be the first time that the enclosure ditches begin to be recut moving back to the west. This phase clearly cut through the earlier 011AB07048 as well as the rest of enclosure Master 011AB10005, and is the latest phase of the inner enclosure system. Ditch segment 011AB00642,  the northern part of the southern arm of the enclosure, was demonstrated to cut through ditch segment 011AB00640, and as such may be part of the latest phase with 011AB00608.

This segment of the enclosure ditch was cut by 2 pits, 011AB00632 and 011AB00773, both of which probably have a late Roman date. Both of these pits were later cut by smaller pits which are of a probable Anglian date.