012AD00384

Compacted Pebble Surface

Phasing

Although the remaining surface itself was not excavated (merely cleaned for recording), the material sealing the surface contained 25 Roman sherds. One Roman sherd was embedded in the surface. The surface was cut by at least four ditches, 012AD00489, 012AD00530, 012AD00671 and 012AD00721, as well as by pit 012AD00727.

Stratigraphic Matrix Diagram

012AD00383   012AD00489        012AD00721   012AD00530
                 
                 
                 
        012AD00671         
                 
        012AD00384 =  012AD00473    
                 

Discussion

A number of pebble surfaces were encountered during the excavation season in 1995, generally cut by enclosure ditches (and thus only visible in the sides of the ditch), although some, like this one, were partly intact. In all but one case (012AD01005), the surfaces appear to be Roman in date, as the material sealing them tends to contain relatively large numbers of exclusively Roman sherds. This material is a hillwash, a sandy silty loam with 5% chalk inclusions (Munsell colour 10YR 4/2). The plot above indicates the extent of the sealing layer.

The surfaces were not deliberately created, rather they formed by compaction due to constant use. Although they were only found sporadically, the pattern indicates that the path was from the spring area in the south up the dry valley side towards the late Roman structure (012AF07215) in the south.

All Contexts and Associated Finds Totals

TYPE  FILL VOLUME OBJECTS AN BONE DENSITY
SEALING LAYER 012AD00383   27 20  
SURFACE 012AD00384   0 0  
SURFACE 012AD00473   1 0  

012AD00383 Object Totals by Period and Material

KEY_ID MATERIAL PERIOD No
012AD00383 FIRED CLAY  
1
  POTTERY 2-4C
8
  POTTERY 3-4C
12
  POTTERY 4C
4
  POTTERY ROMAN
1
  STONE  
1

012AD00383 Animal Bone Totals by Species

KEY_ID SPECIES No
012AD00383 Cattle
6
  Dog
1
  Pig
2
  Sheep
4
  Sheep/Goat
7

Context Details

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00383 LAYER COMPLEX
1040
450
5
 FLAT SILTY SANDY TURFY LAYER COVERING THE WORN PEBBLE SURFACE 384.5% CHALK INCLUSIONS < 5CMS. DAUB AND CHARCOAL FLECKING. POTTERY AND BONE FOUND IN IT.
012AD00384 PEBBLE SURFACE COMPLEX
1040
850
2
 FLAT PEBBLE SURFACE IN S AREA AD. COMPACTED WORN SURFACE. ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES 1-4 CMS IN SIZE. MOST SLOTS AND DITCHES CUT IT. SUNK INTO 670/1.
012AD00473 PEBBLE SURFACE LINEAR
404
73
3
 FLAT PEBBLE SURFACE IN S AREA AD. COMPACTED WORN SURFACE. ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES 1-4 CMS IN SIZE. =384 AND JOINS WITH IT IN SLOT 670/1. ROMAN POTTERY ABOVE.

Objects

KEY_ID OB PERIOD MATERIAL TYPE SUB_TYPE CLASS No
012AD00383 AR   FIRED CLAY FIRED CLAY    
1
012AD00383 AF 2-4C POTTERY SHERD BD  
1
012AD00383 AH 2-4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00383 AI 2-4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00383 AO 2-4C POTTERY SHERD CLSD  
1
012AD00383 AQ 2-4C POTTERY SHERD CLSD  
1
012AD00383 AV 2-4C POTTERY SHERD JBK  
1
012AD00383 AX 2-4C POTTERY SHERD JB  
1
012AD00383 BA 2-4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00383 AA 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AB 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AC 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AD 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AE 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AG 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AJ 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AK 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AL 3-4C POTTERY SHERDS   ROMANO-BRITISH
2
012AD00383 AM 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AS 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AT 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1
012AD00383 AN 4C POTTERY SHERD JB  
1
012AD00383 AP 4C POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00383 AU 4C POTTERY SHERD J  
2
012AD00383 AW 4C POTTERY SHERD BFB  
1
012AD00383 AY ROMAN POTTERY SHERD    
1
012AD00383 AZ   STONE STONE    
2
012AD00473 AA 3-4C POTTERY SHERD   ROMANO-BRITISH
1

Animal Bone

KEY_ID SPECIES ELEMENT QUANT CHEW BURN BUTCH FBRK
012AD00383 Cattle Humerus D 1 1 0 0 0
012AD00383 Cattle M/podial 1 0 0 1 0
012AD00383 Cattle Pelvis fr 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Cattle Phalanx 1 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Cattle Phalanx 2 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Cattle Tibia br 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Dog M/C C 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Pig Tibia P 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Pig Tibia P 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep Calcaneum 1 0 1 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep Humerus D 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep Ld4 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep Radius P 1 0 0 0 1
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Humerus D 1 0 0 0 1
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat LM3 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Phalanx 1 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Radius D 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Tibia fr 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Tibia P 1 0 0 0 0
012AD00383 Sheep/Goat Ulna 1 0 0 0 1