INVESTIGATION OF THE WHITESHEET DOWN ENVIRONS 1989-90 183 
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Fig. 16 Mollusc histogram from the Mere Down linear 
banks on both sides. It is aligned north-south and 
can be traced for over 600m across Mere Down. The 
pipeline route crossed the monument immediately 
adjacent to the current access track, at a point where 
the banks were no longer extant and the ditch was 
only just visible prior to excavation. 
Upon excavation (Figure 15) the ditch proved 
to be 1.05m deep and 3.1m wide at the surface. It 
had moderately sloping sides and a flat base, with a 
ledge on the lower part of either side indicating the 
possibility of a recut. A basal fill (1280) comprised 
angular chalk rubble with a few unworked flint 
nodules. Above this deposit were secondary fills of 
loamy soils (1279, 1283), again with occasional flint 
nodules, sealed by a thin layer of very fine flint 
gravel, almost certainly water-lain. This deposit 
was quite level and may represent the base of a ditch 
recut for drainage purposes. Above it a stone-free 
layer of soil (1282) was cut by a small concrete-lined 
drainage ditch (1273). 
Eighty-one probably residual, abraded worked 
flints were recovered. Two sherds of grog-tempered 
pottery, possibly from the same vessel, from the 
lower ditch fills and a single iron nail or stud from 
the thin gravel deposit 1277 are probably Roman, a 
few fragments of animal bone were also recorded. 
A column of samples through the ditch fill 
sequence was analysed for molluscs and four 
distinct mollusc assemblages can be detected 
- (Figure 16). The basal fill (1280) produced an 
assemblage dominated by shade-loving species and 
characterised by a high proportion of Vitrea 
crystallina and V. contracta with Trichia hispida and 
Carychium tridentatum. Although most of this 
assemblage can be classed as woodland, the Vitreas 
and Carychium have affinities with the catholic 
group (e.g. Kuiper 1964) and are common in chalk 
grassland succession communities (Cameron and 
Morgan-Huws 1975). More significant is that the 
long ungrazed grassland on the steeper slopes of 
Whitesheet Hill today supports a fauna dominated 
by Vitrea crystallina, Carychium, accompanied by 
Nesovitrea hammonis, Trichia hispida and the 
Introduced Helicellids (Allen pers. obs.). We can be 
reasonably certain that the local landscape in which 
the ditch was cut was one of tall ungrazed 
herbaceous grassland and some shrubs (perhaps 
blackberry and hawthorn). 
Fill 1279 produced high shell numbers and a 
change in species composition. Although shade- 
loving species still predominate, Carychium and 
Trichia are now the main components and a number 
of more open country and even xerophilous species 
are present. This assemblage is indicative of 
grassland in which light grazing has occurred. The 
secondary fill 1283 produced a_ significant 
reduction in the shade-loving group and is 
dominated by Trichia and Limacidae. Open country 
species are present in low, but increasing, numbers 
and comprise mainly Pupilla muscorum and Vertigo 
pygmaea. These restricted assemblages with low 
species diversity indicate harsher open dry 
conditions and possibly arable contexts; Pupilla 
and Vertigo both inhabit bare ground environs and 
Hellicella itala is common in ancient tilled areas 
(Evans 1972, 181), but equally may indicate 
environs of short-turfed grazed grassland. 
The tertiary fill (1282) produced assemblages 
almost largely comprised of open country species 
Pupilla, Trichia, Vertigo, and Helicella. These are 
assemblages typical of short open dry grassland, 
and the reduction in Helicella can be seen in part as 
