148 



THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 



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Fig. 1 : Site Location 



trenching as a result of the presence in the western 

 portion of the site of extensive evidence for Iron 

 Age and Romano-British occupation. 



The evaluation results suggested limits to the 

 main area of activity, with subsoil features and finds 

 absent from the eastern parts of the site. Evidence 

 for Romano-British activity extended across c.2.8ha 

 of the western portion of the site, with indications 

 that more intensive settlement was likely to cover a 

 zone of c.0.80ha in the northern part of this area. 

 This latter area became the location for the 

 subsequent full excavation (Figure 2). 



EXCAVATION 

 METHODOLOGY 



AREA EXCAVATION 



The main excavation was situated at the northern 

 end of the development site, in two blocks adjacent 

 to the northern boundary of the site (Area 1 and 

 Area 2 on Figure 2). Area 1 extended to c.2000nr 

 and Area 2 covered over c.4200m 2 . Following the 

 initial clearance of the site, two areas totaling 480m 2 

 were identified in the southwest corner of Area 2 

 where clarification of deposits by means of further 

 machine-excavation was necessary. 



All spoil heaps were scanned both visually and 

 using a metal detector for the recovery of displaced 

 pre-modern artefacts. In addition, a metal detector 

 was also used to scan across Areas 1 and 2; the 

 whole of the midden area in Area 2 was detected in 

 detail, and all metal finds located and collected. 



Initial excavation involved the machine-removal of 

 topsoil and soil overburden on to the top of intact 

 structures, archaeological soil deposits or natural, 

 whichever was encountered first. All further 

 excavation was carried out by hand. 



TRENCH EXCAVATION 



Part of the archaeological brief by Wiltshire County 

 Council Archaeology Service provided for the 

 excavation of a sequence of linear trenches radiating 

 to the east and south of the main excavation area. 



