IRON AGE SETTLEMENT AND ROMAN ACTIVITY AT BRICKLEY LANE, DEVIZES 



219 



Fig. 5. Section 1 : profile of trackway and ditches 



evidence such as charred remains of cereal grains 

 and chaff. Fill 154, of pit 153, was a similar deposit 

 and contained a single sherd of pottery of the same 

 date. 



Pits 177, 181 and 186 



The pits were located to the south of the central 

 enclosure group, and a short distance to the north- 

 east of pit group 153, 155, 157 and 163 (Figure 3), 

 and were grouped due to their similar size and 

 profile and their proximity to one another. 



Pit 177 was sub-circular in plan, 1.02m in 

 diameter and 0.25m in depth, with a bell-shaped 

 profile. The sole fill (188), a dark grey-green sandy 

 silt, contained occasional charcoal flecking and three 

 sherds of late Iron Age pottery. Pit 181 was ovoid 

 in plan, 1.75 m in length, 1.20m in width, and 

 0.45m in depth. The sides sloped sharply to a flat 

 base. The upper of the two fills (183) contained 

 four sherds of Late Iron Age pottery. 



Pit 186 was circular in plan, 1 . 65m in diameter 

 and 0.35m in depth, with vertical sides and a flat 

 base. The secondary (Pdumped) fill (187) 

 contained five sherds of late Iron Age pottery, along 

 with fragments of animal bone, charcoal and 

 limestone. 



charcoal, five sherds of late Iron Age pottery and 

 fragments of animal bone. Secondary fill 100 

 contained charcoal and 12 sherds of Iron Age 

 pottery, some of which were decorated. 



Pit 92 was sub-circular in plan, 1.16m in 

 diameter and 0.85m deep, with vertical sides and a 

 flat base. It truncated pit 98, and was filled with 

 deposits of green-brown silty clay. A sample was 

 taken from the primary fill (93) of the feature 

 because of the high frequency of charcoal. The 

 results of the sample indicated the presence of 

 mineralised Brassica seeds, in addition to charred 

 cereal grain and chaff. Secondary fill 94 contained 

 one sherd of late Iron Age pottery. 



Pits 88, 98 and 106 



Pits 88, 98 and 106 were aligned north-south, 

 located c.5m to the west of gully 151. Again, they 

 were grouped due to similar profiles and 

 dimensions, and proximity to each other. All were 

 filled by green or grey-brown silty clays with 

 moderate to high charcoal content. 



Pit 88 was a sub-circular cut with a bell-shaped 

 profile and a flat base, 1 .04m in diameter and 0.52m 

 deep (Figure 6, section 2). Both the primary (89) 

 and the tertiary (90) fills contained pottery, with 

 nine and 20 sherds of Late Iron Age date being 

 recovered respectively. 



Pit 98 was ovoid in plan with an undercut bell- 

 shaped profile and a flat base, 1.5m long, 0.80m 

 wide and 0.5m deep. Primary fill 99 contained some 



Fig. 6 Sections across Pit 88 and Gully 210 



Pit 106 was the most northerly of the group of 

 the three possible storage pits. Sub-circular in plan 

 with a bell-shaped profile and a flat base, it 

 measured 1.17m in diameter and was 0.52m deep. 

 Pottery dating to the late Iron Age was found in 

 secondary fill (108). Environmental samples were 

 taken from fills 100 and 108 (of pits 98 and 106 

 respectively) which indicated the presence of cereal 

 chaff and grain, as well as charcoal and hazelnut 

 shells. Fill 100 also contained very high quantities 

 of mineralised Brassica seeds. 



