Neath Port Talbot College Dwr Y Felin Road

NEATH PORT TALBOT COLLEGE DWR Y FELIN ROAD

NEATH PORT TALBOT

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

For

JAMES AND NICHOLAS

on behalf of

NEATH PORT TALBOT COLLEGE

CA PROJECT: 2511 CA REPORT: 08200

SEPTEMBER 2008

NEATH PORT TALBOT COLLEGE DWR Y FELIN ROAD NEATH PORT TALBOT

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2511 CA REPORT: 08200

prepared by Sian Reynish, Project Supervisor

date 1 September 2008

checked by Cliff Bateman, Project Manager

date 17 September 2008

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 22 September 2008

issue 01

This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 2

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) ...... 5

3. DISCUSSION...... 7

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 8

5. REFERENCES ...... 8

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ...... 10 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ...... 11

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan 1:25:000. Fig. 2 Area of observed groundworks 1:500 Fig. 3 Plan and section of Roman road 1:50 Fig. 4 Plan and sections of pits and gully 1:100 and 1:10

1 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

SUMMARY

Project Name: Neath Port Talbot College Location: Dwr y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot NGR: SS 7485 9790 Type: Watching Brief Date: 28 January -13 February 2008 Planning Reference: P/2007/1174 Location of Archive: to be deposited with Neath Museum and Art Gallery Site Code: DYF 08

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the development of a new Performing Arts facility at the Neath Port Talbot College campus, Dwr y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot.

A section of Roman road and associated roadside ditches was recorded which further confirmed the predicted location and alignment of the Roman road between the Roman forts at Neath and Coelbren. Pottery retrieved from the roads primary make up layer indicates a 2nd-century AD construction date which would be consistent with the second phase of occupation at the nearby fort.

Two pits and a gully recorded 15m east of the observed Roman road are representative of activity associated with the previously identified civilian settlement (vicus). .

2 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In January and February 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching brief for James and Nicholas, on behalf of Neath Port Talbot College, within the existing college campus (centred on NGR: SS 7485 9790; Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to planning consent for the construction of a new Performing Arts facility (Planning ref: P/2007/1174). The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the development.

1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2008) approved by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council acting on the advice of Neil Maylan of Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust, the archaeological advisor to the local planning authority (LPA). The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001), and the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991). The watching brief was monitored by Neil Maylan.

The site

1.3 The site lies within the eastern part of the Neath Port Talbot college campus, within a triangle of land formed by the railway line to the north, Dwr-Y-Felin Road to the south-west, and Cadoxton Road to the south-east (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 13m AOD, with ground level dropping away on all sides.

1.4 The development area is approximately 0.09ha and comprised a lawned area adjoining the existing college building.

1.5 The underlying drift geology of the area, mapped as fluvio-glacial gravels of Pleistocene and recent date (Geological Survey of Great Britain 1972, sheet 247), was observed throughout the groundworks.

3 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

Archaeological background

1.6 The application area is located on the projected line of a Roman road running north- east from the 1st-century AD and later fort at Neath (Nidum) to the nearby fort at Coelbren (Sherman and Evans 2004, Pearson 2004). Neath fort, discovered in 1949 (Nash-Williams 1950a, 1950b), has statutory protection as a Scheduled Monument (SAM GM 215 (NEP)). Subsequent archaeological excavations, notably in the 1950s and 1980s, further explored the fort’s defences and revealed parts of its interior plan, establishing a basic occupation sequence with three discernible periods of use between c. AD 75-80, c. AD 140-170, and c. AD 275-320 (Pearson 2004). Recent geophysical survey has further elucidated the internal form of the fort (Young 2003).

1.7 The development area was also thought to lie within the extensive Roman vicus, an area of associated civilian settlement identified during recent works to the north- east, north-west and south-west of the military fort (Pearson 2004). Remains of a substantial late 1st or early 2nd-century stone building outside the fort’s north-east gate were noted during works in the area of the comprehensive school playing fields (Maynard 1993). Well-preserved structural remains associated with the vicus have also been identified within the grounds of Neath College (for example Sell 1997, Sell 2000). These roadside buildings were interpreted as having an industrial function (Pearson 2004).

1.8 Previous archaeological fieldwork to the west of the application area, associated with construction of an Electronic Learning Centre, noted that archaeological deposits had previously been destroyed by the meandering course of a small stream (GGAT 2003). However, the current development area lies on higher sand and gravel deposits on which significant archaeological features have been found elsewhere, including significant features revealed during construction of a nursery building immediately north-west of the current application area (Howell 2001).

1.9 It was therefore considered that significant archaeological features were likely to be present within the proposed development area, and that apart from minor damage caused by the construction of the current hard standings and two small buildings (now demolished), these deposits were likely to be well preserved.

1.10 An evaluation undertaken in October 2007 recorded well-preserved metalled road surfaces, with flanking drainage ditches, confirming the conjectured line of a section

4 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

of Roman road leading from the north-east gate of the fort at Neath (Nidum) to the fort at Coelbren. In addition, structural remains representative of remnant wall- footings set perpendicular to, and to the west of, the identified Roman road suggest that Roman buildings associated with the vicus, or attached civilian settlement, survive within the development area (CA 2007).

Methodology

1.11 Intrusive groundworks were restricted to drainage facilities, with the new build itself having previously been constructed upon a rafted foundation above the known archaeological deposits. In the event, some of the drainage works were undertaken prior to archaeological attendance. Consequently, an archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks comprising the mechanical excavation of drainage runs to the south and an attenuation unit to the east of the new Performing Arts facility (see Fig. 2 for location and extent).

1.12 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2008). Where archaeological deposits were encountered written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation (1995).

1.13 The archive and artefacts from the watching brief are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the artefacts will be deposited with Neath Museum and Art Gallery along with the site archive.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4)

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts and finds are to be found in Appendices A and B.

5 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

Drainage runs (Figs. 2 and 3)

2.2 The excavations for the drainage run were largely contained within an area of modern disturbance associated with existing service trench 521. Natural sandy substrate 506 was revealed within the northern extent of the excavations at an average depth of 1m below present ground level (bpgl). It was overlain by Roman road surfaces and make-up (503 to 505) and cut by the two associated flanking ditches (507 and 512).

2.3 The Roman road was truncated by modern service 521, but sufficient survived to identify it was aligned south-west to north-east and measured 4.70m in width. It comprised a lower agger of redeposited sands and silts, 505, from which over 50 sherds of Roman pottery dated to the 2nd century AD were recovered. This was in turn sealed by distinct metalled surfaces, 503 and 504, from which no artefactual material was retrieved.

2.4 Associated roadside ditches 507 and 512 measured 0.8m and 1.0m in width respectively and were partially sealed by later road metalling 503 and 504. Pottery recovered from both ditches is dated to the late 1st to 2nd century AD. Sealing these deposits was subsoil 502, which in turn was overlain by buried topsoil 501, and modern demolition/make up layer 500.

Attenuation unit trench (Figs. 2 and 4)

2.5 Natural sandy substrate, 603, was typically revealed 0.90m below present ground level (bpgl). At the southern extent of the attenuation unit, two pits and gully were identified cutting the natural substrate. Gully 606 was aligned north-east to south- west and contained a single silty clay fill from which Roman pottery dated to the 2nd century AD was recovered. The gully was cut by shallow, oval pit 604 which contained charcoal-rich fill 605 from which an undated iron strip was retrieved. Immediately to the east, 2nd century-pottery was recovered from a second pit, 608, of comparable size and shape to 604.

2.6 The natural substrate and Roman features were overlain by subsoil 602 which was in turn covered by a buried topsoil 601 and modern demolition/makeup layer 600.

6 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

The Finds

2.7 Roman pottery, ceramic building material, glass and metalwork were recovered during the current works (see Appendix B for concordance). The Roman pottery types present consist of Gaulish samian ware, Dorset-Black-Burnished ware, Caerleon slipped ware, miscellaneous (probably local) greywares, a black sandy wheel thrown type, North Gaulish mortaria, a local South Wales type mortarium and Baetican (Southern Spanish) amphora type.

2.8 Three forms could be identified, a samian ware shallow dish with barbotine decoration around the rim (Dragendorff 36) from deposit 505; a neckless jar with an everted rim in a greyware fabric from roadside ditch fill 508; and an another samian form, a plain shallow dish (Dragendorff 18/31) which was retrieved from pit 608. All three of these forms and the fabrics represented are consistent with a late 1st to 2nd century AD date.

2.9 Two fragments of Roman vessel glass were recovered. These are of natural green- coloured glass, and include thick- and thinner-walled vessels.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The groundworks associated with the drainage run exposed a section of Roman road with associated roadside drainage. Despite truncation by an existing modern service, the observed section of road has further confirmed the location and alignment of the Roman road between the north-east gate of the fort at Neath and the nearby fort at Coelbren identified in the previous evaluation. Pottery retrieved from the make up layer sealed by subsequent road metalling indicates a 2nd-century AD construction date, which would be consistent with the second phase of occupation at the nearby fort (Pearson 2004).

3.2 Two pits and a gully were recorded 15m east of the observed Roman road. The function of these features remains undetermined, although it may be anticipated that they are representative of activity associated with the previously identified civilian settlement (vicus).

7 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Sian Reynish. The report was written by Sian Reynish. The illustrations were prepared by Jemma Elliott. The archive has been compiled by Sian Reynish, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was managed for CA by Cliff Bateman.

5. REFERENCES

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2007 Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot. Archaeological Evaluation. CA Typescript Report No. 07145

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008. Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot. Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief Evaluation

Geological Survey of Great Britain (England & Wales) 1972 Swansea. Drift. Sheet 247 1:63360

GGAT 1993 Archaeological Field Evaluation, Glyn Leiros, Neath Abbey Road, Neath. GGAT Report No. 93/030

GGAT 2002 Neath College gas pressure induction station: archaeological watching brief. GGAT Report No. 2002/057

GGAT 2003 Neath Port Talbot Electronic Learning Centre: archaeological watching brief. GGAT Report No. 2003/073

GGAT 2006 Dwr y Felin School, Neath, car park extension (SMC): archaeological watching brief. GGAT Report No. 2006/070

Howell, J.K. 2001 Neath Port Talbot College crèche: archaeological field evaluation. GGAT Report No. 2001/035

Maynard, D. 1993b Archaeological Field Evaluation, Cwrt Herbert Playing fields, Neath, West Glamorgan. GGAT Report No. 93/026

8 © Cotswold Archaeology Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr Y Felin, Neath Port Talbot: Archaeological Watching Brief

Nash-Williams, V.A. 1950a The Roman stations at Neath (Glam.) and Caer Gai (Mer.) Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 13, Part 4, 239-245

Nash-Williams, V.A 1950b The Roman station at Neath. Further discoveries. Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, 14, Part 1, 76-79

Pearson, A. 2004 Roman roads and vici in Southeast Wales: Year 2 report. GGAT Report No. 2004/02

Petersen, A. 2003 Neath Roman Fort (Nidum), West Glamorgan: Archaeological Watching Brief. Cambrian Archaeological Projects Ltd Report No. 287

Sell, S. H.1997 Neath College Archaeological Survey. GGAT Report No. 97/018

Sell, S. H. 2000 Proposed classroom, Neath College. Archaeological Field Evaluation. GGAT Report No. 2000/029

Sherman, A and Evans, E. 2004 Roman Roads in South East Wales: Desk-based assessment with recommendations for fieldwork. GGAT Report No. 2004/073

Young, T.P. 2003 Geophysical survey of part of Neath Roman fort, Dwr-y-felin playing fields, Neath [SS 746 977].

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Drainage runs

No. Type Description Length (m) Width (m) Depth Spot- (m) date 500 Layer Modern demolition /makeup layer 0.46 501 Layer Burried Topsoil 0.12 502 Layer Subsoil 0.14 503 Layer Upper surviving metaling for Roman road 4.50 0.18 504 Layer Lower surviving metaling for Roman road 4.50 0.12 505 Layer Make up layer (agger) for Roman road 4.70 0.25 C2 506 Layer Natural n/a 507 Cut Western roadside ditch 0.80 0.45 508 Fill Primary fill of ditch 507 0.66 0.25 LC1-C2 509 Fill Secondary fill of ditch 507 0.80 0.16 LC1-C2 510 Fill Tertiary fill of ditch 507 0.49 0.04 511 Fill Slumping material from Roman road in ditch 507 Oblique 0.12 0.60 512 Cut Eastern roadside ditch 1.00 0.40 513 Fill Primary fill of ditch 512 1.00 025 C1-C2 514 Fill Secondary fill of ditch 512 0.28 0.02 515 Fill Slumping material from Roman road in ditch 512 0.25 0.20 516 Fill Tertiary fill of ditch 512 0.74 0.20 RB 517 Cut Cut of modern water pipe 0.30 0.47 Modern 518 Fill Primary fill of 517 0.30 0.09 Modern 519 Fill Water pipe 0.02 0.02 Modern 520 Fill Secondary fill of 517 0.30 0.36 Modern 521 Cut Cut for modern service 50m+ 1.80 >0.95 Modern

Attenuation unit trench

No. Type Description Length (m) Width (m) Depth Spot- (m) date 600 Layer Modern demolition / makeup layer 0.38 601 Layer Buried Topsoil 0.27 602 Layer Subsoil 0.25 603 Layer Natural n/a 604 Cut Oval pit 0.92 0.38 0.08 605 Fill Fill of oval pit 605 0.92 0.38 0.08 606 Cut Linear gully >2.45 0.22 0.20 607 Fill Fill of linear gully 606 >2.45 0.22 0.20 C2 608 Cut Oval pit 0.92 0.36 0.19 609 Fill Fill of oval pit 608 0.92 0.36 0.19 C2

APPENDIX B: THE FINDS

Finds Concordance

Context Artefact type Count Weight (g) Spot–date 505 Roman pottery: samian, miscellaneous greywares, 56 610 C2 Dorset Black–Burnished ware, Caerleon ware, Local South Wales mortarium, North Gaulish mortarium Ceramic building material: brick, tegula 3 126 Roman glass: vessel 2 20 Iron nail: hobnail, nail shaft 2 6 508 Roman pottery: miscellaneous greyware 11 34 LC1-C2 Fired clay 1 6 509 Roman pottery: miscellaneous greyware, North 5 54 LC1-C2 Gaulish mortariium Iron nails 3 26 513 Roman pottery: samian ware, coarse reduced ware 4 44 C1–C2

Iron hobnail 1 4 516 Roman pottery: miscellaneous greyware 5 6 RB 605 Iron strip 1 4 – 607 Roman pottery: samian, miscellaneous greyware, 12 276 C2 oxidised ware, Baetican amphora, black sandy wheel thrown reduced ware 609 Roman pottery: samian ware, miscellaneous 3 24 C2 greyware, black sandy wheel-thrown reduced ware

11 Reproduced from the 1992 Ordnance Survey Landranger map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

Site

0 5km

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY Neath Port Talbot PROJECT TITLE Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot FIGURE TITLE Site location plan

DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. JE 1:50,000@A4 2511 1 749 7

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey digital mapping with the permission of 4 Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office 9 N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

T1 T2

Fig. 4 T3

Fig. 3

978978

SS 0 50m

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

site PROJECT TITLE Neath Port Talbot College, observed groundworks showing archaeological features Dwr y Felin Road, Neath unobserved groundworks FIGURE TITLE Location plan, showing previous evaluation trenches showing archaeological features archaeological features DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. JE 1:500@A4 2511 2 Plan of Roman Road

N A western roadside ditch 507

natural 506 modern service 521 eastern roadside ditch trench conti 512 nues A for 21m road surface 503

natural 506

trench continues for 16m

Section AA: South facing section through Roman Road

W E 13 m AOD modern make-up 500 topsoil modern water main 501 517 511 subsoil 502 515 519 520 road surface 503 road surface 504 518 510 road make-up 516 506 509 505 natural 506 natural 506 513 508 514 western roadside ditch eastern roadside ditch 507 512 COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr y Felin Road, Neath Port Talbot FIGURE TITLE Plan and section of Roman Road

DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 0 5m JE 1:50@A4 2511 3 Plan of pits 604 and 608 and gully 606 N

gully C 606 pit 604

pit D 608

0 10m

Section B: North-west facing section through pit 604

NE SW 12 m AOD

605

pit 604

Section C: North-east facing section through gully 606 Section D: South facing section through pit 608

SE NW W E 12 m 12 m AOD AOD

609

pit 608 607

gully 606

0 1m

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Neath Port Talbot College, Dwr y Felin Road, Neath FIGURE TITLE Plan and section of pits and gully

DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. JE 1:100 &1:10 2511 4