LAND AT DOMGAY LANE FOUR CROSSES POWYS POST-EXCAVATION ASSESSMENT AND UPDATED PROJECT DESIGN For EDP on behalf of DAVID MCCLEAN HOMES CA REPORT: 06046 JUNE 2007 LAND AT DOMGAY LANE FOUR CROSSES POWYS POST-EXCAVATION ASSESSMENT AND UPDATED PROJECT DESIGN CA PROJECT: 9018 CA REPORT: 06046 Author: Tim Havard and Annette Hancocks Approved: Martin Watts Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: 14 June 2007 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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] Land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5 Location ............................................................................................................... 5 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 5 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................... 7 3. METHODOLOGY................................................................................................. 7 4. RESULTS (Figs 3 to 5) ........................................................................................ 8 Stratigraphic Record: factual data........................................................................ 14 Stratigraphic record: statement of potential ......................................................... 14 Artefactual record: factual data ............................................................................ 15 Artefactual record: statement of potential ............................................................ 16 Biological record: factual data.............................................................................. 17 Biological record: statement of potential .............................................................. 20 5. STORAGE AND CURATION ............................................................................... 22 6. UPDATED AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................. 22 7. PUBLICATION ..................................................................................................... 24 Synopsis of Proposed Report .............................................................................. 24 8. PROJECT TEAM ................................................................................................. 26 9. TASK LIST ........................................................................................................... 28 10. TIMETABLE ......................................................................................................... 29 11. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 29 APPENDIX 1: STRATIGRAPHY BY TIM HAVARD.......................................................... 35 APPENDIX 2: WORKED FLINT BY E.R. McSLOY .......................................................... 36 APPENDIX 3: POTTERY BY E.R. McSLOY..................................................................... 37 1 Land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design © Cotswold Archaeology APPENDIX 4: WORKED STONE BY E.R. McSLOY ........................................................ 40 APPENDIX 5: AMBER BEAD BY E.R. McSLOY .............................................................. 41 APPENDIX 6: METALWORK BY E.R. McSLOY .............................................................. 42 APPENDIX 7: METALLURGICAL RESIDUES BY DR T.P. YOUNG................................ 43 APPENDIX 8: HUMAN BONE BY TERESA GILMORE.................................................... 47 APPENDIX 9: ANIMAL BONE BY S. WARMAN............................................................... 50 APPENDIX 10: CHARRED PLANT REMAINS BY ELIZABETH PEARSON .................... 53 APPENDIX 11: CHARCOAL BY ROWENA GALE ........................................................... 62 APPENDIX 12: POLLEN BY DR. KATIE HEAD ............................................................... 69 APPENDIX 13: GEOARCHAEOLOGY BY KEITH WILKINSON....................................... 73 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:50,000) Fig. 2 The site, with nearby cropmarks and earthworks (1:10,000) Fig. 3 Plan of excavated features (1:2000) Fig. 4 Periods 1 and 2: Neolithic and Bronze Age features (1:1000) Fig. 5 Periods 3 and 4: Iron Age and Roman features (1:1000) Fig. 6 Period 4: Detail plan of postholes containing metalworking debris (1:100) Fig. 7 Periods 5 and 6: Post-medieval and undated features (1:1000) Fig. 8 Sketch plan of the barrow and sample locations Fig. 9 The monolith samples Fig.10 Magnetic properties of the sampled fine-grained layer 2 Land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Site Name: Land at Domgay Lane Location: Four Crosses, Powys NGR: SJ 2707 1878 Type: Excavation and watching brief Date: October 2004 to October 2006 Location of archive: To be deposited with Powysland Museum (Welshpool) Accession Number: A467/2005 Site Code: DFC 04/DFC 05 A programme of archaeological investigation, comprising an excavation and a subsequent watching brief, was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) between October 2004 and October 2006 at the request of Waterman CPM Limited and subsequently The Environmental Dimension Partnership (EDP) on behalf of Jennings Homes Limited (now part of David McClean Homes Limited) on land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys. The site had previously been investigated archaeologically in 1983 and 1984 as part of an investigative programme of cropmark complexes around Four Crosses, when three ring ditches forming part of an extensive barrow cemetery of probable Bronze Age date were excavated within the site. In response to a planning consultation for development of the site, a programme of geophysics and archaeological evaluation was undertaken in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The CA excavation was subsequently carried out as a condition of planning consent. The excavation revealed numerous features dating from the Neolithic to post-medieval period. One pit produced several large potsherds of late Neolithic date. Eleven ring ditches and the southern half of a barrow mound, which were part of the barrow cemetery, were excavated. The barrow mound was shown to have been constructed in two phases, with a small primary mound being replaced by a larger secondary mound. Graves were revealed within several of the ring ditches. Other features included several undated pit alignments and two Romano-British enclosures and field system. Evidence for Roman metalworking was also uncovered, comprising postholes and pits with copper-smelting waste including slag, daub superstructure and a fragment of block tuyère. A small cemetery of probable Roman date was also excavated. 3 Land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design © Cotswold Archaeology This document presents a quantification and assessment of the significance of the evidence recovered from the fieldwork. It considers the evidence collectively in its local, regional and national context, and presents an updated project design for a programme of post- excavation analysis to bring the results to appropriate publication. 4 Land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design © Cotswold Archaeology 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Between October 2004 and October 2006 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological excavation and watching brief on land at Domgay Lane, Four Crosses, Powys (centred on NGR: SJ 2707 1878; Fig. 1). The work was undertaken at the request of Waterman CPM Limited, and subsequently The Environmental Dimension Partnership (EDP), on behalf of Jennings Homes (now part of David McClean Homes) in accordance with a Design Brief for Archaeological Excavation prepared by Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) Curatorial Section (2004), archaeological advisors to the Local Planning Authority, and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2004). The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation, the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Excavation and the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999), and was guided by the Management of Archaeological Projects II (EH 1991). Location 1.2 The site comprises an area of approximately 2.4ha on the north-eastern side of the village of Four Crosses (Figs 1 and 2). The site is located towards the western extent of a low gravel terrace (c. 60m AOD) by the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Vyrnwy. The flood plain of these rivers extends for at least 2km to the north, east and south of the site, while to the west