Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation...December 2011 for on behalf of Turnberry...

Begbroke Science Park Access Road

Begbroke Oxfordshire

Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation

December 2011

for

on behalf of

Turnberry Consulting Ltd

Oxford University Estates Directorate

CA Project: 660011 CA Report: 11275

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

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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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 and analysis in accordance with Technical

Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation (CA 2010). There were no

finds and no deposits suitable for environmental sampling.

1.13 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Milton

Keynes. The site archive will be deposited with Oxfordshire County Museum Service,

under accession no. OXCMS:2011.2. A summary of information from this project, set


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out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of

archaeological projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-6)

2.1 This section provides an overview of the excavation results; detailed summaries of the

recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A. There were no artefacts in any of

the features investigated and of these, only two, a ditch and a gully, were the result of

human activity, the majority were either geological in origin or naturally formed.

General stratigraphy

2.2 The geology comprised clayey sand with extensive bands and patches of reddish-

brown gravel in a sandy matrix (1002). The overlying subsoil (1001), which was c.

0.26m thick, was clayey sand that was in turn overlain by clayey silt topsoil (1000), c.

0.26m thick. Approximately 25m from the eastern edge of the excavation there was a

colluvial deposit of clayey sand (1010) that extended towards the west for

approximately 10m. It was up to 0.2m thick and lay between the subsoil and natural

substrate.

2.3 Towards the western end of the site there was a ditch, 1007; its alignment in relation

to the surrounding hedgerows suggest that it may be a former field boundary. It was

aligned north to south, had poorly defined edges and measured over 23m long by

0.9m wide by 0.37m deep (Fig. 4). Its primary fill, 1006, was slumped against the

western side of the ditch, suggesting that there may have been a bank on this side;

the secondary fill, 1007, had been deposited by gradual silting.

2.4 At the eastern end of the site there was a small gully, 1004. It was aligned north-east

to south-west, had a steep-sided concave profile and measured 0.35m wide by

0.17m deep (Fig. 5). The gully was 12m long and petered out at each end.

2.5 There were no other archaeological features within the site, although there were a

number of geological or naturally-formed features that had to be investigated as

superficially they had the appearance of archaeological remains. These included a

‘ditch-like’ feature, 1012, and a random scatter of twenty-two discrete features of


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varying sizes. The latter were for the most part formed by tree throw or the root action

of tree and shrubs; the hollows formed by tree throws can be of archaeological

interest as they were, on occasion, used for shelters by prehistoric peoples and can

contain worked flint and evidence for other activities.

2.6 The ‘ditch-like’ feature, 1012, lay c. 10m to the north of gully 1004 and roughly

corresponded with the cropmark that was thought to represent a small oval enclosure

or ring ditch and was investigated in Trench 2 of the evaluation (CA 2011). The

feature, the edges of which were somewhat irregular and poorly-defined, was aligned

roughly north to south, its northern end extending beyond the limits of the site, its

southern end veering to the south-west and terminating after a distance of

approximately 4m. On average it was approximately 0.9m wide and 0.14m deep and

had a short, irregular slope on both sides and a roughly flat base (Fig. 6). It was filled

with sterile sandy clay, 1011.

2.7 The discrete features, the majority of which were investigated, were either created by

tree throw or root action, or were naturally-occurring pockets of silty clay in the surface

of the gravel. They were roughly oval or somewhat amorphous in shape, had shallow

irregular profiles and varied in size between 0.4m long by 0.3m wide and 2.9m long by

2.6m wide.

2.8 At the eastern edge of the site there was an area of disturbed ground that is probably

associated with the excavation of a trench for a high voltage cable that runs along its

eastern edge, parallel to the hedgerow.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Cropmark evidence had suggested that at least three sub-circular enclosures or ring

ditches, possibly of prehistoric date, lay partly within the proposed road corridor, at its

eastern end. The interpretation of these cropmarks as possible archaeological

features was based on their morphological similarity with known prehistoric

enclosures and funerary monuments, of which there are many in the surrounding

area. The case for them being of archaeological interest was strengthened by

evaluation, which encountered ‘ditch-like’ features roughly corresponding with the


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position of the cropmarks, although no dating evidence was recovered from the

interventions (MoLAS 2008; CA 2011). It is worth noting that the 2011 evaluation

encountered no evidence for the cropmark on the southern edge of the access road

corridor, targeted by Trench 2.

3.2 The greater archaeological clarity enabled by excavation demonstrated that the

features, which were thought to be prehistoric in date, were in fact geological

formations or naturally-formed features, caused by tree throw and root action. The

‘ditch’like’ feature investigated in Trench 2 of the evaluation (CA 2011) was shown to

be a somewhat irregular linear band of sandy clay that extended from north to south

and then curved to the south-west at its southern end. The edges were indistinct and

the fill gradually merged with the gravels at the edges of the feature.

3.3 The only confirmed features that had been formed by human activity are a ditch and a

short length of gully. The latter is undated but the alignment of the ditch, which runs

parallel with existing hedgerows to the east and west, suggests that it is contemporary

and probably dates to the late 18th and early 19th century. It may be a former field

boundary, although it is not shown on the 1st edition (1884) Ordnance Survey map of

the area (www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet), suggesting that it had been removed

by this time or had some other agricultural purpose.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

The fieldwork was undertaken and the report was written by Vasileios Tsamis. The

illustrations were prepared by Jonathan Bennett. The archive has been compiled by

Vasileios Tsamis, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was

managed for CA by Simon Carlyle and Laurent Coleman.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey)

http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html accessed 11

November 2010


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British History Online, http://wwwbritish-history.ac.uk/mapsheet, accessed 5

December 2011

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2010 Begbroke Science Park Access Road, Begbroke,

Oxfordshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Begbroke Science Park Access Road, Begbroke,

Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation, CA typescript report 11013

MoLAS (Museum of London Archaeological Service) 2008 Begbroke Science Park

Access Road, Begbroke, County of Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation Report

OCAS (Oxfordshire County Archaeological Services) 2010 Begbroke Science Park,

Access Road and Land Adjacent to Woodstock Road, Begbroke: Design Brief for

Archaeological Field Evaluation

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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

1000 Topsoil Mid brown humic silty clay with greyish-brown mottles and moderate pebbles, mostly flint.

- - 0.26

1001 Subsoil Mid reddish-brown silty clay with moderate pebbles, mostly flint.

- - 0.26

1002 Natural Light yellowish-white clayey sand with extensive bands and patches of reddish-brown gravel in a sandy matrix

- - -

1003 Deposit Mid reddish-brown silty clay with v. occasional pebbles. - - 0.17

1004 Gully Linear cut, aligned NE-SW, peters out at either end. 12.0 0.35 0.17

1005 Deposit Mid reddish-brown sandy clay with moderate pebbles. - - 0.37

1006 Deposit Mid yellowish-brown sandy clay with frequent pebbles, possible slump from bank.

- - 0.37

1007 Ditch Linear cut, aligned N-S, with V-shaped profile, extends beyond site.

>23 0.9 0.37

1008 Deposit Light yellowish-brown silty clay with v. occasional pebbles.

- - 0.23

1009 Tree bowl Shallow irregular cut. 0.9 0.7 0.23

1010 Colluvium Mid yellowish-brown sandy clay. - - 0.2

1011 Deposit Mid yellowish-brown sandy clay. - - 0.14

1012 Geological feature

Irregular linear feature. >8 0.9 0.14

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APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke, Oxfordshire

Short description (250 words maximum)

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.

Project dates October 2011

Project type Strip, map and sample excavation Previous work Evaluation (MoLAS 2008; CA 2011)

Future work None

Monument type None Significant finds None PROJECT LOCATION

Site location Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke, Oxfordshire

Study area 0.33 ha.

Site co-ordinates SP 4753 1343 PROJECT CREATORS

Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology (CA) Project Brief originator Oxfordshire County Council Project Design (WSI) originator CA

Project Manager Simon Carlyle and Laurent Coleman (CA) Project Supervisor Vasileios Tsamis (CA) PROJECT ARCHIVE

Accession no: OXCMS: 2011.2 Content

Physical None

Paper Oxford Museum Services Site records

Digital Report, digital photos

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Begbroke Science Park, Begbroke, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample Excavation, CA typescript report 11275

site

Oxfordshire

CotswoldArchaeology

t 01285 771022

f 01285 771033

w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk

e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATEREVISIONSCALE@A4

PROJECT NO.DRAWN BYAPPROVED BY

N

0 1km

Site location plan

Begbroke Science Park Access RoadBegbroke, Oxfordshire

12-12-2011001:25,000

660011VTPJM 1

Reproduced from the 1999 Ordnance Survey Explorer mapping with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 c

CotswoldArchaeology

Cirencester 01285 771022

Milton Keynes 01908 218320


e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE



4

3

3 General view of site, looking west

4 Ditch 1007, looking north (scale 0.3m)

Photographs


20-12-201100N/A

660011JBPJM 3 & 4

CotswoldArchaeology




e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE



5 Gully 1004, looking north-east (scale 0.3m)

5

5


20-12-201100N/A

660011JBPJM

Photograph

CotswoldArchaeology




e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE



6

6 Geological feature 1012?? looking north (scale 0.3m)

Photographs


20-12-201100N/A

660011JBPJM 6

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