Begbroke Science Park Access Road Begbroke Oxfordshire Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation for Turnberry Consulting Ltd on behalf of Oxford University Estates Directorate CA Project: 660011 CA Report: 11275 December 2011 Begbroke Science Park Access Road Begbroke Oxfordshire Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation CA Project: 660011 CA Report: 11275 prepared by Vasileios Tsamis, Project Officer date 3 November 2011 checked by Simon Carlyle, Project Manager date 21 November 2011 approved by Roland Smith, Regional Manager signed date 6 December 2011 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. © Cotswold Archaeology Unit 4, Cromwell Business Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell MK16 9QS t. 01908 218320 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Begbroke Science Park Access Road: Archaeological Excavation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 3 2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-6) ........................................................................................ 6 3. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................... 7 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ......................................................................................... 8 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 8 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM ......................................................................... 11 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Plan of excavation area, showing evaluation trenches and location of cropmarks Fig. 3 General view of site, looking west Fig. 4 Ditch 1007, looking north Fig. 5 Gully 1004, looking north-east Fig. 6 Feature 1012, looking north 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Begbroke Science Park Access Road: Archaeological Excavation SUMMARY Project Name: Begbroke Science Park Access Road Location: Begbroke, Oxfordshire NGR: SP 4753 1343 Type: Strip, map and sample excavation Date: 10-30 October 2011 Location of Archive: Oxfordshire Museum Service Accession Number: 660011 Site Code: BEG11 In October 2011, an archaeological strip, map and sample excavation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology, prior to the construction of an access road at Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke , Oxfordshire. The work was commissioned by Turnberry Consulting Ltd, acting on behalf of Oxford University Estates Directorate (OUED). A probable 18th or 19th-century ditch, possibly a former field boundary, and an undated gully were investigated; a large number of irregular hollows, formed by tree throw and root action, were also investigated but they offered no evidence for prehistoric human activity on the site. Two ‘ditch-like’ features that were identified by an earlier evaluation and roughly corresponded with cropmarks shown on the site were found, upon further investigation, to be of geological origin. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Begbroke Science Park Access Road: Archaeological Excavation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In October 2011, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological strip, map and sample excavation on the proposed route for an access road at Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke, Oxfordshire (centred on NGR: SP 4753 1343; Fig.1). The work was commissioned by Turnberry Consulting Ltd, acting on behalf of Oxford University Estates Directorate, and was undertaken in order to fulfil the condition for archaeological mitigation attached to planning consent for the construction of the access road by Cherwell District Council (CDC). 1.2 The archaeological excavation was carried out in accordance with the Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2011) and approved by Richard Oram, Planning Archaeologist, Oxfordshire County Archaeological Service (OCAS). The fieldwork also followed the Institute for Archaeologists’ Standard and guidance for archaeological excavation (IfA 2008), and the English Heritage procedural documents Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (EH 1991) and Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2006). The site 1.3 The route of the access road extends westwards, across an arable field, from Begbroke Science Park towards the proposed junction with the A44 Woodstock Road. The excavation area, which covers approximately 0.33ha, lies at the eastern end of the road corridor, adjacent to the science park (Fig. 2). The ground slopes gently to the west and the site lies at c. 64m aOD. 1.4 The solid geology comprises Jurassic rocks of the Oxford Clay Formation and West Walton Formation, consisting of undifferentiated mudstone of the Callovian to Oxfordian periods. In the vicinity of Begbroke and Yarnton, these are overlain by Pleistocene deposits of the Summertown-Radley Sand and Gravel Member (BGS 2010). Archaeological background 1.5 Prior to the current archaeological investigation, cropmarks shown on aerial photographs had suggested that the site contained the possible remains of 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Begbroke Science Park Access Road: Archaeological Excavation prehistoric enclosures, including a possible Bronze Age barrow. Subsequent evaluation, undertaken by CA in January 2011 (CA 2011), encountered two possible ditches that appeared to relate to two of the cropmarks at the eastern end of the proposed route of the access road. Although no dating evidence or any other artefacts were recovered from the features, the evidence suggested that they may have been the remains of a prehistoric enclosure and ring ditch. These have since been shown to be of geological origin. 1.6 In the wider area there are a number of other cropmarks that have been interpreted as being of archaeological interest, and some of these have been investigated and found to be the remains of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman settlement and activity. These include two or three ovoid features, ditches and pits to the south of the route (PRN 7533) and an oval enclosure with sub-circular enclosures and a pit group 450m to the north (PRN 7336). To the south-west there is a probable square enclosure (PRN 2588), to the north-east of which lies a possible droveway and field system. Iron Age and Roman occupation activity has also been identified c. 1km to the south- east of the site (PRN 2371, 2372, 2622). 1.7 Elsewhere, a number of prehistoric worked flint artefacts have been recovered from the vicinity (PRN 4164 and 4172) and a Bronze Age pit (PRN 17405) was identified during an evaluation undertaken 500m to the south of the site (OCAS 2010). An archaeological evaluation on the route of a previously proposed access road to the science park identified a post-medieval ditch and four undated ditches (MoLAS 2008). Archaeological objectives 1.8 The objectives of the excavation were to: • Record any evidence of past settlement or other land use, • Recover artefactual evidence and to date any evidence of past settlement that may be identified, • Sample and analyse environmental remains to create a better understanding of past land use and economy. 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Begbroke Science Park Access Road: Archaeological Excavation Methodology 1.9 The excavation area is shown in Figure 2. The site limits were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using a Leica 1200 series SmartRover GPS. 1.10 The topsoil and subsoil were removed, under archaeological supervision, by a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless ditching bucket. The ground level was reduced to the top of the archaeological horizon or the geological substrate, whichever was encountered first. To facilitate construction works and the movement of plant, the overburden was removed in three stages. The generated spoil was scanned in order to recover artefacts. All archaeological features were recorded in plan using a Leica 1200 series SmartRover GPS. 1.11 Examination of features concentrated on recovering the plan and any structural sequences. Particular emphasis was placed upon retrieving a stratigraphic sequence and upon obtaining details of the phasing of the site. All discrete features (postholes, pits) were sampled by hand excavation (up to 50%). All linear features (ditches, pathways etc) were sampled to a maximum of 10%. 1.12 All archaeological features revealed were planned and recorded in accordance with CA’s Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (CA 2007). Each context was recorded on a pro-forma context sheet by written and measured description; principal deposits were recorded by drawn plans (scale 1:20 or 1:50, or electronically using Leica 1200 series GPS) and drawn sections (scale 1:10 or 1:20 as appropriate). Where detailed feature planning was undertaken using GPS this was carried out in accordance with Technical Manual 4: Survey Manual (CA 2009). Photographs (black and white negative and digital colour) were taken as appropriate. All finds and samples were bagged separately and related to the context record. All artefacts were recovered and retained for processing