EXCAVATIONS IN 1999 ON LAND ADJACENT TO WAYSIDE FARM, DEVIZES 



157 



F4294/Seg 4266 



1m 



3 



F4288/Seg 4095 



Fig. 9 : Selected ditch sections Area 2 



these fills contained large quantities of artefacts, 

 including animal bone, pottery, metal objects and 

 ceramic building material and a fragment of human 

 femur, with the lowermost fill (4248) also 

 containing large fragments of building stone and 

 other artefacts. This pit, possibly with some ritual 

 significance, is discussed more fully in the Finds 

 and Discussion section of this report. 



Two features, F4078 and F4081 (sections on 

 Figure 10a and b) were located towards the north 

 west corner of the site and are likely to be post-pits. 

 Both had similar plan dimensions: 0.8m in 

 diameter, although their depths were 0.2m and 

 0.4m respectively. F4078 had a rounded profile, 

 with F4081 showing as steep-sloping onto a flat 

 base. Fills of both these features were charcoal-rich 

 in composition, with F4078 also having evidence 

 for a post pipe represented by charcoal fill (4079 

 on Figure 10a). 



Pit F4210 (section on Figure 10c) was sealed 

 by 0.25m thick midden soils (context 4136). 1.20m 

 in plan diameter, it had a near vertical profile and 

 broad flat base at a depth of 0.4m. This feature 

 contained a single fill (context 421 1) not dissimilar 

 to the surrounding midden soils, composed of a 

 humic sandy clay. 



F4234 (section on Figure lOe) was situated in 

 the southwest corner. 1 . 1 5m in diameter, the profile 



was steep-sloping onto an irregular base at a depth 

 of 0. 4m. This feature contained evidence of burning 

 within its fills, which may represent some 

 association with adjacent oven structure F4214 (see 

 below) situated immediately to the south of this 

 feature. 



Pit F4240 (section Figure lOf) was situated 

 against the northern excavation limits. 1.0m in 

 diameter, the profile showed as steep-sided onto a 

 concave base at a depth of 0.45m. It contained a 

 single fill (context 4241) composed of a dark 

 greyish-brown clay sand containing frequent 

 charcoal and pottery. 



Structures 



Two structures, F4007 and F4214, are shown in 

 both plan and section on Figure 1 1 . Structure 

 F4007 (Plate 3), situated close to the northern limits 

 of the excavation, measured 3.2 x 1.25m. This 

 feature, aligned east-west, comprised a flue and 

 associated probable stoking pit F4237. The flue 

 comprised two courses of roughly hewn sandstone 

 blocks, up to 0.2m in size, with a single course of 

 sandstone slabs as part of the floor (4231). The 

 upper course of the flue and floor had been 

 subjected to intense burning. Both the lower course 

 of this structure and the flooring were set into a 

 chalky clay mortar (4232). The single line of stone 



