EXCAVATIONS IN 1999 ON LAND ADJACENT TO WAYSIDE FARM, DEVIZES 



181 



components of a single deposit, interpreted as a 

 'midden', particular attention has been paid to the 

 fine wares to test whether the assemblage had the 

 potential to indicate a chronology for the depositional 

 sequence. Full details of all ceramic categories are 

 presented in the tables within the archive report; 

 detailed quantifications of material in the early pit 

 groups (Table 3), early linear s (Table 4) and the later 

 midden (Table 6) are included with this publication. 



METHODOLOGY 



Examination of the ceramics concentrated on 

 identifying the following characteristics: fabric, 

 form, colour, surface treatment, decoration, sherd 

 size and degree of abrasion, general condition and 

 residues. Quantification is based on sherd count, 

 weight and eves. The pottery was initially sorted 

 according to fabric groups with a xlO hand lens 

 supplemented by the use of a binocular microscope 

 using a magnification of x20. Where applicable the 

 fabrics have been coded according to the National 

 Roman Fabric Reference Collection (Tomber and 

 Dore 1998). 



Where possible vessel forms have been identified 

 and cross-referenced to other published regional 

 and national type series. 



THE LATER PREHISTORIC 

 AND EARLY ROMANO-BRITISH 

 MATERIAL 



2460g (246 Sherds) of later Iron Age and early 

 Romano-British ceramics were recovered. All are 

 in generally poor condition, being fragmented and 

 featuring few diagnostic sherds providing evidence 

 of form. No complete profiles are present. Grog- 

 tempered Savernake Ware is present in very small 

 quantities and is associated with otherwise clear 

 later Iron Age material. Due to the highly 

 fragmentary nature of the assemblage quantification 

 is restricted to weight and number of sherds by 

 fabric group (Tables 3 and 4). 



The Fabrics 



equated with the fabric series constructed by 

 Timby for the adjacent site at Brickley Lane 

 (Timby 2001a). For ease of cross-reference the 

 Brickley Lane fabric numbers are retained here: 

 CP2 being later prehistoric and CP3 being later 

 prehistoric to early Roman. For Romano-British 

 fabrics the National Roman Fabric Reference 

 Collection codes (Tomber and Dore 1998) are 

 used and the reader is referred to this work for 

 full descriptions. 



Later Prehistoric. CP2 



51 A fine and dense sandy ware, black or dark brown. 



52 Orange glauconitic sandy ware. 



L2 Red-brown or grey with moderate spherical voids and 

 red iron. Scatter of ill-sorted rounded, polished quartz. 

 G 1 Light grey/brown finely micaceous with sparse grog. 



Late Iron Age-Early Roman. CP3 



SAV GT SavernakeWare (Tomber and Dore 1998,191). 



Early Roman Fine Wares: Samian 



LEZ SA 2 Central Gaulish Samian (Lezoux) Tomber 



and Dore 1998, 32-3. 



The Forms 



The later prehistoric forms, where discernible, 

 comprise saucepan and related forms (Figure 18, 

 1), ovoid jars (Figure 18, 2) and globular bowls 

 (Figure 18, 3). A number of the sherds display 

 burnishing on the external surfaces (mainly 

 confined to vessels in fabric SI). No other form of 

 decoration was noted on any the material and no 

 residues were observed. 



Context 



The ceramic material from CP2-3 is derived from 

 pits and ditches with no discernible difference in 

 the material from either type of feature or deposit. 



Pits 



Fourteen pits produced ceramics of CP 2 (below, 

 Table 3). 



Ditches and linear features 



Five ditches/linear features produced ceramics 

 indicating a later prehistoric - early Romano-British 

 date. Details of these are presented in Table 4. 



A) Later Prehistoric and Early Roman (c. 

 300BC-AD200). 



Later prehistoric coarse wares. All of the later 

 prehistoric fabrics at Wayside Farm can all be 



Date and Discussion 



The date range of the later prehistoric ceramics falls 

 between the period of the 3rd century BC to the 

 middle of the 1st century AD. This has been 

 grouped here into Ceramic Phases 2-3. Material 



