INVESTIGATION OF THE WHITESHEET DOWN ENVIRONS 1989-90 155 
Table 2. Whitesheet Hill: Pottery totals by fabric group and feature (weight in grammes) 
V1 Xl 
no/wt 
S99 
S1-2 
Q100-2 
no/wt 
C99 DI1-5 D99 El F1-2 F99 O1-3 099 
no/wt 
C1-3 
no/wt 
no/wt no/wt 
7/64 
no/wt 
1/2 
no/wt 
no/wt 
no/wt no/wt 
no/wt 
no/wt 
no/wt 
7/55 
4/11 
Recut 
7/3 
1305 
1303 
1368 
1301 
1326 
1299 
1330 
1297 
1295 
1293 
1291 
344/93 
58/10 
1/5 
66/299 
4/4 
3/8 
35/63 
6/4 
2/2 
13/15 
1/1 
3/6 
137/25 
60/10 
63/13 
16/3 
1/1 
1/1 
3/2 
10/19 
1063/194 
171/62 
1/1 
3/8 
1/2 
22/35 
19/80 
26/28 
3/2 
4/1 
9/1] 
94/88 
1/1 
5/3 
The second series of three results was from the 
fills of pits within the interior of the enclosure. Two 
were from different material (animal bone and 
hazelnuts) from the basal fill (context 1322) of pit 
1295. These results (3720-3330 cal BC and 3640- 
3370 cal BC) are statistically indistinguishable, and 
form a coherent group with that obtained on 
charred hazel nut from pit 1303. This series of dates 
indicates that activity within the enclosure was 
contemporary with, rather than earlier than, the 
construction of the bank and ditch enclosure 
circuit. 
POTTERY 
by Rosamund M. 7. Cleal 
In total, 625 sherds (1540g) of Neolithic pottery and 
102 sherds (102g) of Late Iron Age or Romano- 
British pottery were recovered manually from the 
ditch and from internal features. A further 1917 
fragments (1540g) were recovered from sieved 
samples; where these could not be assigned to fabric 
they are recorded as fabric X1 (Table 2). Fragments 
assignable to fabric are included with the manually 
recovered material. The Neolithic pottery includes 
a small amount of Peterborough Ware from the 
ditch recut, but is mainly earlier Neolithic in date. 
Earlier Neolithic 
On the basis of rim sherds, decorated sherds and 
fabrics, it is estimated that at least 16 vessels are 
represented, all of which are illustrated (Figure 9). 
A further three may be represented by fabrics in 
which only body sherds occur but which are likely 
to be of Neolithic date (fabrics C2, Q] and S82). 
Sherds were assigned to fabrics on the basis of 
type, frequency and size of inclusions, using the 
standard Wessex Archaeology recording system 
(Morris 1992). A series of type sherds was 
established and the remainder assigned to these 
fabrics. Abbreviated descriptions of the fabrics are 
given below, full descriptions are in the archive. 
Petrological analysis was carried out on samples of 
most fabrics by David Williams (archive) and the 
results of that analysis are incorporated within the 
fabric descriptions. 
The calcareous fabrics (C, D and S) form an 
heterogeneous group which may represent vessels 
from several different sources. The subdivisions 
include fabrics with ‘beef’ calcite, non-beef calcite, 
and shell. In addition, all but one (V1) of the fabrics 
