Location of Area 12AG in relation to the rest of the settlement

Site 12 Area AG

Area 0.085 hectare Partially excavated 1995

On the final day of the initial 2 week machine stripping in April 1995, two trenches (012AF00001 and 012AG00001) were cut across the valley in order to establish the depth of hillwash at this point, and to see if the geophysical evidence showing a cessation of archaeological activity was correct. It immediately became apparent that the level of archaeological survival was high, with deposits sealed by layers of hillwash (in places well over two metres deep, explaining why the initial magnetometer survey did not work in this area, as it is limited to about a 1 metre depth penetration). A cursory investigation of the features was carried out, but as these deposits were not in the initial excavtion strategy for the 1995 season, no further investigation took place. Two sample trenches were excavated, to establish the depth and nature of the hillwash deposits.