EXCAVATION OF SAXON PITS ATTIDWORTH, 1999 



243 



Western pit group 



The pit containing the articulated dog bones 

 recorded in the evaluation proved to be one of a 

 cluster of pits in the area of Block 3 (Figure 2). 

 Two groups of intercutting pits lay approximately 

 10m apart. The western group consisted of four 

 pits, 306, 329, 330 and 331, typically 2m in diameter 

 and 0.5m deep with irregularly sloping sides and 

 fairly flat bases and filled with brown clay loam. Pit 

 319, a more regular circular feature of 0.8m 

 diameter and 0.4m depth, was just to the west of 

 the group and did not intercut with them. 



Pits 319 and 329 produced sherds of organic- 

 tempered Saxon pottery (V400) characteristic of 

 early to middle Saxon ceramic traditions. Organic- 

 tempered fabrics are generally dated from the 5th- 

 8th centuries, although indications that this tradition 

 continued later into the middle Saxon period in 

 Wiltshire are provided by small groups of sherds from 

 the early 9th century metalworking site at Ramsbury 

 (Haslam 1980) and from contexts pre-dating the 

 Alfredian defences at Cricklade (Jope 1972). 



Within this group, only Pit 3 1 9 produced animal 

 bone (Table 2): the skeleton of a dog and a gnawed 

 cattle metatarsus from the main fill (320), and a 

 cattle jaw and a sheep metatarsal fragment from 

 the upper fill. The dog skeleton was found lying on 

 its right side, with the backbone round the outer 

 curve of the pit and was almost complete though 

 most of the toes were missing, possibly lost during 

 excavation. The animal could be positively identified 

 as male from the presence of a baculum (os penis). 

 All of the bones had fused epiphyses and the teeth 

 were very heavily worn, indeed the canines had filed 

 sides where they had worn against each other and 

 the lower left was reduced to a stump. Although 

 several pathologies were present the spine and joints 

 were not arthritic and this animal, though aged, 

 would have still been quite mobile. The dog had 

 suffered three broken ribs, probably from a fall or 

 kick, that were almost healed at the time of death 

 and the right tibia and corresponding calcaneum 

 were markedly abnormal. It is not clear whether 

 this was the result of disease or fracture, though 

 there is some suggestion of a clean fracture, and 

 the bone remodelling and extra foramina that were 

 apparent could indicate infection, perhaps from a 

 wound that occurred at the time of the break. 

 Length measurements were taken on most of the 

 bones and derived shoulder heights calculated. The 

 heights are consistent and indicate an animal of 

 about 0.57m at the shoulder. This height, and the 



skull, indicate an animal of similar size and build to 

 a modern Rottweiler with a broad, heavy built head 

 and jaws, but with lighter limbs. 



Five sheep-size fragments were also recovered 

 among the dog bones, all 'digested' (i.e. with the 

 sharp edges and destroyed surfaces characteristic 

 of canid digestion). It is highly likely that these 

 represent the gut contents of the dog. 



Eastern pit group 



The five pits, 308, 310, 314, 323 and 328 in the 

 eastern group were more varied in size. Pits 308 

 and 323 were of similar size to those of the western 

 group, whereas pits 310, 314 and 328 were typically 

 3-4m in diameter and lm deep with steeply sloping 

 or vertical sides and flat irregular bases. Pit 323 

 appeared to be the earliest on stratigraphic grounds 

 and it produced the only other organic-tempered 

 Saxon sherd from the site, together with a small 

 group of animal bones (Table 2), including a pair 

 of neonatal pig tibiae and a cattle-sized shaft 

 fragment that had been dog-gnawed. Limestone-/ 

 chalk-tempered Saxon pottery (C400, C401) was 

 recovered from pits 310 and 314, including one rim 

 (Figure 3, No. 1) and one rounded basal angle. 

 These fabrics would suit a middle Saxon date (8th- 

 10th century), although parallels within the county 

 are extremely scarce, and calcareous fabrics are not 

 unknown earlier: for example, a handful of chalk- 

 tempered sherds are known from an early Saxon 

 (5th-7th century) sunken-featured building at 

 Collingbourne Ducis (Timby 2001). A vessel of 

 comparable form in a calcareous fabric is known 

 from a possible middle Saxon context at Market 

 Lavington (Mepham forthcoming), and other 

 examples come from Malmesbury (Mepham 

 unpubl.) and West Kennet near Avebury (Wessex 

 Archaeology 1997); none of these is securely dated. 

 Pit 310 was by far the most productive. It 

 contained a quantity of stone fragments, mostly of 

 lava quernstone of continental origin, and a fragment 

 of a whetstone, together with two bone objects (a 

 double-ended pin beater and a needle (Figure 3, Nos. 

 3, 4)), two copper alloy objects (a globular-headed 

 pin (Figure 3, No. 2) and a piece of twisted wire) 

 and two iron objects (an iron pin shank and an iron 

 'collar' or ferrule). The pin beater is similar to other 

 'cigar-shaped' beaters which are frequently found in 

 Saxon contexts though they occur from the Romano- 

 British to early medieval periods (MacGregor 1985, 

 fig 101, no. 15). Also from pit 310 came ironworking 

 debris comprising three fragments of possible hearth 



