Archaeological Notes from Buckinghamshire County Museum
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY MUSEUM These notes include archaeological dis- normally been included, nor field scatters of coveries reported during 1983 and a few earlier medieval pottery unless of sufficient quantity finds not previously noted. Discoveries in the to indicate settlement, nor single Roman coin Milton Keynes Development Corporation finds. Abbreviated grid references have un- (MKDC) area are included by courtesy of fortunately to be given for a number of sites to D. C. Mynard and fuller accounts of these prevent looting. sites appear in South Midlands Archaeology (CBA 9). The assistance of many informants is Numbers in brackets are accession numbers gratefully acknowledged; other discoveries are of material at the County Museum. The initials by Museum staff. The compiler would be BCM indicate that the material is in the pleased to learn of any errors or omissions. Museum, but no accession number has yet Findspots are recorded under civil parish. been allotted. The County Museum Archaeo- logical Group is abbreviated to CMAG, and Some selection of material has been neces- the Air Photo Unit of the RCHM(E) as NMR. sary; single struck flakes for instance have not Michael Farley PREHISTORIC Amersham SU 9845 9845 Chesham SP 9599 0145 Ten crude flakes, Neolithic-Bronze Age, Omitted from last year's 'Archaeological and a core were collected by the Chess Valley Notes' was a record of the work undertaken by Archaeological Society during fieldwalking. Mrs. B. Stainton with the Chess Valley Archaeological Society at Stratfords Yard. In Beachampton SP 776 381 1969 an excavation revealed the presence of A possible ring ditch with hints of others, not stratified Mesolithic flints and animal bone. A previously recorded here, was photographed as 1 m sq. excavation in 1982 together with a a cropmark by the NMR in 1975. watching brief during construction clarified Chalfont St Peter TQ 0195 9040 some outstanding issues. A further twenty- A buried soil containing four flakes and a eight microliths were recovered, twenty-three core, and a pit containing six flakes, were dis- cores and several other flints as well as organic covered sealed by ploughwash on the sloping material. For a fuller account see South floor of a valley and sectioned by pipe trenches Midlands Archaeology (1983) 10-13. laid transversely to the course of the M25 Denham TQ 0477 8667 (under construction). The flakes may be A polished stone axe, minus butt and cutting Neolithic-Early Bronze Age. (BCM) edge, was found by Mr. P. Jones among Chalfont St Peter TQ 0108 9195 dredged material from Mill Stream. (295.1983) The discovery of further struck flakes of Ellesborough SP 8326 0709 (Centre) Neolithic-Early Bronze Age (?) date by Mrs. Twelve Late Neolithic - Bronze Age flakes, also M. Putt was reported by Mrs. B. Stainton. two St Neot's ware sherds, were found by Mrs. 168 Y. Parminter in a ploughed field. (255.1983) to be prehistoric, was recorded from near the Fawley SU 7657 8477 - 7678 8469 base of the sequence. The whole lay adjacent A peat-filled former river channel was cut by a to the trial excavation carried out by Mr. D. new gas main and recorded by Mr. D. Start. Allen for BCM in 1981 which produced Some contained flints were of Late Mesolithic - Mesolithic flints. (BCM) Early Neolithic date. Dr. M. Robinson Iver TQ 044 823 sampled the peat for further study. Part of a rectangular enclosure with associated Gerrards Cross SU 9927 8812 linear features, not previously recorded here, Miss L. Harris found a round flint hammer- were photographed as a cropmark by the stone whilst gardening. (278.1983) NMR in 1980. Gerrards Cross SU 0157 8800 Ivinghoe SP 96 15 In a field known to have produced Neolithic- Mr. R. Field discovered during 1982-3 a Bronze Age flakes Mr. and Mrs. Bridbury dug number of fragments of Late Bronze Age a trial hole in advance of construction of the metalwork dispersed over 30 m or so. The find M25, and encountered Mesolithic flints. A was brought to the attention of BCM by Mr. subsequent small scale excavation by BCM L. Matthews. The objects, which are all with DOE support exposed a substantial tufa broken, consist largely of fragments of swords deposit, in the lower part of which and in the and spears and are datable to the Wilburton gravel beneath were late Mesolithic flints and phase. The method of their recovery over animal bones. There was clearly on-site knap- several months coupled with the apparent ping with much fresh flint including cores. spread of the finds makes it uncertain whether Some microliths were recovered but few other the whole was a hoard or not. The material is tools. The finds have not yet been fully undergoing further study. (329.1983) studied. (BCM) Lacey Green SP 81 03 Gerrards Cross TQ 0155 8785 (area) A socketed bronze spearhead, now in the During construction of the M25 an unaccom- possession of Mr. P. Gregory, was found. In panied cremation burial was recorded in the the same general area Mr. J. Swatton and Mr. eastern roadside ditch, also a ditch containing D. Critoph found Roman and about six Celtic a barb-and-tang arrowhead. (BCM) coins. Medmenham SP 8168 8428 - 8171 8441 Gerrards Cross TQ 015 883 A shallow pipe trench dug through the south- A flint scraper and twenty flakes, Neolithic- ern part of Danesfield camp, a Scheduled Early Bronze Age, were collected by Mrs. H. Ancient Monument, produced three Neolithic- Bridbury during fieldwalking. Bronze Age flint flakes, but no features were Hughenden SU 8761 9773 recorded. (206.1983) A flint fabricator of Neolithic-Bronze Age Newport Pagnell SP 8749 4361 date was found by Mrs. D. Waterton in a A small Neolithic flint axe with butt intact but vegetable garden. cutting edge missing was found in a garden by Iver TQ 0394 8336 Dr. E. Henderson. Polishing is present on During construction of the M25, a new culvert, both edges but partial only on the two faces. dug to channel the Alderbourne, exposed the infilled channel of the river itself. Extensive Princes Risborough SP 80820 02876 post-glacial deposits of peat and other sedi- Sqn. Ldr. and Mrs. Collins reported discovery ments were recorded and sampled for further of human remains, which were investigated at study. The tip of a driven wooden stake, likely the request of the Coroner's Officer. They proved to belong to a crouched burial of late 169 Neolithic-Early Bronze Age date, which was Stone SP 7860 1275 accompanied by a flint knife of plano-convex Two blades Mesolithic(?) and two flakes, form. The whole was presumably once within Neolithic-Early Bronze Age were found at the a barrow although no trace remained in the edge of a ploughed field by Mr. G. Lamb. garden in which the burial was found. A full (301.1983) report appears on p. 142. (359.1983) Wendover SP 861 071 A small tanged bronze chisel, with stop-ridge, Princes Risborough SP 79 03 was found by Mr. D. Shelley. Four scrapers, a core and ten flakes of Neo- lithic-Early Bronze Age date were discovered Weston Underwood SP 871 518 by Mrs. Y. Parminter, and in the same area a A ring ditch and ?part of a rectangular en- scatter of lst-4th century Romano-British closure were photographed as a cropmark by pottery including an Oxfordshire mortarium Mr. G. Foard. and colour-coat sherds. (254.1983) Wooburn SU 8952 8670 Stone SP 7842 1258 A polished Neolithic flint axe found in the Further flints were found in an allotment by 1960s was notified by Mr. B. Wheals. Photo at Mr. G. Lamb including seven Neolithic-Early BCM. Bronze Age flakes and a Mesolithic blade. (302.1983) ROMANO-BRITISH Amersham SP 947 977 Brill SP 6526 1393 Two seasons of excavation were directed by Two 4th-century bronze coins were discovered Mr. P. A. Yeoman for BCM & DOE in by Mr. N. Govier during 1982 in a garden. advance of construction of the Amersham by-pass, at Mantles Green Farm, Amersham. Buckingham SP 704 333 The site was believed to be near a villa possibly Two Roman coins were found by Mr. D. G. destroyed in digging Shardeloes Lake in the Shelley on a housing development. 18th century. A large cobbled courtyard was exposed with a substantial flint-footed build- Chepping Wycombe SU 894 893 ing on the west and 'corn-drier' to the east. A bow-brooch, Collingwood type Rii was Beneath the courtyard lay a number of curving found by Mr. J. Durham. boundary and drainage ditches associated with a wheel-rutted metalled trackway which itself Chilton SP 698 108 sealed an earlier timber building. Extensive Nineteen further sherds were collected by Mr. deposits of burnt flint, slag and charcoal were O. J. M. Lee from a previously recorded found and many iron objects. It is hoped that Romano-British site. (277.1983) investigations will continue in 1984. Dorton SP 682 139 Astwood SP 9535 4750 A lst-2nd-century flagon base was found Romano-British sherds were recovered from a during 1982 by Mr. J. Faulkner. (350.1983) V-shaped ditch exposed during topsoil strip- Little Horwood SP 79 30 ping for the Astwood by-pass. (166.1983) In an area from which Romano-British pottery Bledlo w-cum-Saunderton SP 795 002 had previously been reported, Mr. D. Shelley A lst-century 'Colchester' type bow-brooch found many Roman coins and a model axe in was found by Mr. R. Sears. (101.1983) copper-alloy. The latter has been donated to 170 BCM.