Research Framework for Forest of Dean District
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Research Framework for Forest of Dean District Forest of Dean Archaeological Survey Stage 4: Module 3 Project Number 5291 ANL Volume 1: Introduction Version 0.4.1 Jon Hoyle Archaeology Service © Gloucestershire County Council June 2017 1 Project details Title: Forest of Dean Archaeological Survey Stage 4: Module 3: Research Framework for Forest of Dean District. Project NHPCP project 5291 ANL number: Authors: Jon Hoyle Archaeology Service Heritage Team Gloucestershire County Council Shire Hall GLOUCESTER GL1 2TH Origination June 2017 (this version minor corrections January 2018) date: Version: 0.4.1 Status: Third revision of first draft with slight corrections Summary of V0.1: First draft submitted to Historic England, November 2015 changes: V0.2: Changes made following comments from Historic England dated 14th January 2016 V0.3: Selected areas updated to reflect significant new information recorded since November 2015 V0.4 Minor additions and corrections following submission to Historic England in early April 2017 V0.4.1 Slight corrections of errors/omissions identified in V0.4 undertaken January 2018 but not updated with new archaeological information Historic England info. Circulation: Required Action: Approval: 3 Contents Volume 1: Introduction 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Area covered by the research framework ......................................................................................... 10 1.2 Topography, geology and landuse ................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Historic Environment designations ................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Previous archaeological work in the area ......................................................................................... 17 1.4.1 Antiquarian and research-led archaeology ....................................................................................................... 17 1.4.2 Planning-related archaeology ........................................................................................................................... 19 1.5 Current management of the archaeological resource in the Forest of Dean .................................... 21 1.5.1 Environmental Stewardship schemes .............................................................................................................. 21 1.5.2 Forestry schemes ............................................................................................................................................. 21 1.5.3 Forestry Commission ....................................................................................................................................... 22 2. Sources of information about archaeology in the Forest of Dean ............................................ 23 2.1 The Historic Environment Record ..................................................................................................... 23 2.1.1 Sources of information for the HER .................................................................................................................. 23 2.1.2 HER records for the Forest of Dean ................................................................................................................. 24 2.1.3 Types of site represented ................................................................................................................................. 24 2.1.4 Limitations of the HER ...................................................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Portable Antiquities Scheme database ............................................................................................. 25 2.3 Published and unpublished sources ................................................................................................. 26 2.4 Archaeological artefacts and archives .............................................................................................. 26 2.4.1 Museum collections .......................................................................................................................................... 26 2.4.2 Private collections ............................................................................................................................................ 27 2.5 Other material/unpublished sources ................................................................................................. 27 2.5.1 Gloucestershire Archives ................................................................................................................................. 27 2.5.2 Dean Heritage Centre ...................................................................................................................................... 28 2.5.3 The Forestry Commission, Coleford Office ...................................................................................................... 28 2.5.4 Historic England Archives ................................................................................................................................ 28 Volume 2: Resource Assessment 3. The earlier prehistoric periods: Palaeolithic to Neolithic (900,000BC – 2,200BC) ................... 33 3.1 The Palaeolithic period (900,000BC – 10,000BC) ............................................................................ 33 3.2 The Mesolithic period (10,000-4,000 BC) ......................................................................................... 34 3.2.1 Early Mesolithic ................................................................................................................................................ 34 3.2.2 Later Mesolithic ................................................................................................................................................ 34 3.3 Mesolithic to Neolithic transition (3,500BC to 4,500BC) ................................................................... 36 3.4 The Neolithic (4,000BC to 2,200BC) ................................................................................................ 36 3.4.1 Field monuments and evidence for ritual and religion ...................................................................................... 37 3.4.2 Early prehistoric trade and communications ..................................................................................................... 38 3.4.3 Environmental background for the early prehistoric period .............................................................................. 39 3.4.4 Summary of the early prehistoric period ........................................................................................................... 40 4. The later prehistoric periods: Bronze Age to Iron Age (2,500 BC – AD43) ............................... 43 4.1 Late prehistoric settlement and landuse ........................................................................................... 43 4.1.1 Bronze Age settlement ..................................................................................................................................... 43 4.1.2 Iron Age settlement .......................................................................................................................................... 45 4.2 Late prehistoric landuse .................................................................................................................... 50 4.3 Late prehistoric ritual and religion ..................................................................................................... 52 4.3.1 Bronze Age ritual and religion .......................................................................................................................... 52 4.3.2 Iron Age ritual ................................................................................................................................................... 56 4.4 Late Prehistoric trade and communication ....................................................................................... 57 4.4.1 Bronze Age trade and communications ............................................................................................................ 57 4.5 The Late Iron Age to Roman transition: About 100BC to AD100 ..................................................... 58 4.6 Environmental background for the late prehistoric ........................................................................... 59 4.7 Summary of the late prehistoric period ............................................................................................. 60 5. The Roman period .......................................................................................................................... 63 5.1 The early Roman period 1st– 2nd Centuries AD ................................................................................ 63 5.1.1 Ethnicity and territoriality .................................................................................................................................. 63 5.1.2 Early military sites ............................................................................................................................................ 63 5 5.1.3 Military Roads..................................................................................................................................................