Eaton Camp, Ruckhall, Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire A Report on Excavations in May 2012 and June 2013
February 2014
Report prepared for the Eaton Camp Historical Society by Peter Dorling
With specialist contributions by Michael J Allen, C Jane Evans, S Hamilton- Dyer, Wendy J. Carruthers and Dr T P Young
Herefordshire Archaeology Report No. 332 Event No. EHE 2006
Herefordshire Archaeology Economy, Environment and Cultural Services Directorate Herefordshire Council
Eaton Camp, Ruckhall, Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire A Report on Excavations in 2012 and 2013
February 2014
Herefordshire Archaeology is Herefordshire Council’s county archaeology service. It advises upon the conservation of archaeological and historic landscapes, maintains the county Sites and Monument Record, and carries out conservation and investigative field projects. The County Archaeologist is Dr. Keith Ray.
Herefordshire Archaeology PO Box 230 Blueschool House Blueschool Street Hereford HR1 2ZB
Contents
Summary 1
Introduction and Background 2
Excavation Results 10
Trench 1 10 Trench 2 13 Trench 3 16 Trench 4 20 Trench 5 21
The Finds 23
Environmental 27
Dating 27
Discussion 29
Acknowledgements 35
Bibliography 35
Specialist Reports
Ceramics (C Jane Evans) 37
Radiocarbon Results (Michael J Allen) 48
Animal bone and Charred Plants 51 (Michael J. Allen, S. Hamilton-Dyer and Wendy J. Carruthers)
Pyrotechnological Residues (Dr T P Young) 60
Geo-archaeological Observations (Michael J Allen) 63
Eaton Camp Excavation Report 2012 and 2013
Summary
This report presents the results of two seasons of small scale excavations within the interior of Eaton Camp promontory hillfort. The work was carried out as part of the Eaton Camp Conservation Project a Heritage Lottery funded project organised by the Eaton Camp Historical Society.
In 2012 two trenches (1 and 2) each 5.00m x 5.00m were opened to test the nature and significance of two apparently substantial ditches that were detected within the interior of the fort following a comprehensive geophysical survey. In each case the ditch terminals were targeted as these were expected to give the best chance of recovering datable artefacts and deposits.
The presence of the ditches was confirmed and the primary fill in each case was radiocarbon dated to the early Iron Age. The form and location of the western- most ditch suggests that it may be an early phase of the promontory fort defences. The second ditch cut off the very end of the promontory and served to demarcate that area. Deliberate deposition may be suggested by articulated cattle bones and fragments of human skull in the primary fill. An apparent midden deposit in the very top of the ditch contained Middle Iron age ceramics, including crucible, burnt bone, fire cracked stones and abundant charred plant and cereal remains.
The following year three further trenches were opened. The main trench (3) was 6.00m x 6.00m and was located to investigate apparent occupation deposits identified in Trench 2 running east into the area demarcated by the ditch. Two smaller subsidiary trenches were located to investigate a further large geophysical anomaly (Trench 4) and a mound on the very end of the promontory (Trench 5).
Sealed below the occupation deposits in Trench 3 were features associated with a circular building. These comprised a wall slot and drainage gulley, the former suggesting that the building was about 6.00m in diameter. No direct dating evidence was recovered but it may be contemporary with the ditch in Trench 2 and the overlying soils contained middle Iron Age pottery.
The large geophysical anomaly was confirmed to be a large pit around 3.00m in diameter and of significant depth (it was not fully excavated). A single sherd of decorated middle Iron Age pottery was recovered from one of its fills.
The mound on the eastern end of the promontory was confirmed to be a section of rampart. This probably served to enhance the visibility of the fort from below (from the River Wye) and/or to enhance the enclosure of the area containing the building and defined on the west by the ditch.
1
Eaton Camp Excavation Report 2012 and 2013
Introduction and background
Project Background
The excavations described in this report are part of the on-going Eaton Camp Conservation Project, developed by the Eaton Camp Historical Society and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The core aims of the project as set out in the project proposals document were: