012AD00882 and 012AD00883

Compacted Pebble Surface and Stone Setting

Phasing

In general, the pebble surfaces remained unexcavated in the 1995 season, merely being cleaned to establish their limits, thus no finds were recovered from either 012AD00882 or 012AD00883. Apart from being sealed by spits 012AD00506, the stone setting 012AD00883 had no other stratigraphic relationships. The pebble surface 012AD00882 was also cut by the ditch 012AD00855 and by post holes 012AD00886 and 012AD00888. 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.

Stratigraphic Matrix Diagram

        012AD00920      012AD00506
                 
  012AD00885   012AD00887    012AD00854       
                 
  012AD00886   012AD00888    012AD00855       
                 
          012AD00882     012AD00883

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), and although this surface was not damaged in this way, it was not well preserved.. The stone setting 012AD00883 just to the north may be part of a repair in the surface, for instance where a hole had developed.

It may well be related to the other areas of pebble surface exposed just to the north (012AD00892) and to the south (012AD00889).

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 CUT VOLUME OBJECTS AN BONE DENSITY
PEBBLE SURFACE 012AD00882   0 0  
STONE SETTING 012AD00883   0 0  
POST HOLE 012AD00885 012AD00886   0 0  
POST HOLE 012AD00887 012AD00888   0 0  

Context Details

012AD00882 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00882 PEBBLE SURFACE COMPLEX
143
130
   UNDULATING PEBBLE SURFACE. SUB ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES AVERAGE 5 CMS SOME 10-15CMS. LOT OF PEAGRIT. SITS IN NATURAL CHALK BEDROCK. NOT VERY WELL PRESERVED.

012AD00883 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00883 STONE SETTING COMPLEX
236
163
   IRREGULAR PEBBLE SURFACE. ROUNDED CHALK PEBBLES < 5CMS. SOME MANGANESE OXIDE STAINING. CUT BY SLOTS 490/1 435/6. PROBABLY RELATED TO SURFACE 701.

012AD00886 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00885 POST HOLE FILL ROUND
30
30
 10 FLAT BASED U POST HOLE FILL. NO FINDS. SOME CHARCOAL AND DAUB FLECKING. < 10% CHALK INCLUSIONS < 10MS. E SIDE OF DITCH 854/5. VERY SHALLOW.
012AD00886 POST HOLE CUT ROUND 30 30 10 FLAT BASED U POST HOLE CUT. CUT INTO CHALK BEDROCK. ALSO CUT INTO SURFACE 882. SITS E SIDE OF DITCH 854/5. NO RELATIONSHIP SEEN.

012AD00888 Notes

KEY_ID TYPE SHAPE L B D PROFILE NOTES
012AD00887 POST HOLE FILL ROUND
30
30
 10 FLAT BASED U POST HOLE FILL. NO FIND. DAUB AND CHARCOAL FLECKING. < 10% CHALK INCLUSIONS < 10CMS. PROBABLY CONTEMPORARY WITH POST HOLE 885/6 AND DITCH 854/5 BUT NOT SEEN.
012AD00888 POST HOLE CUT ROUND 30 30 10 FLAT BASED U POST HOLE CUT. CUT INTO CHALK AND SURFACE 882. HEAVILY PLOUGH TRUNCATED. VERY SHALLOW. STEEP S SIDE LESS STEEP N SIDE WITH FLAT BASE.