Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977
Aerial photography in 1957 resulted in the discovery of a rectangular double-ditched enclosure overlooking the Severn floodplain near Bewdley, Worcestershire (UK). Excavation in the 1970s, in advance of gravel extraction, provided limited evidence of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age activity pri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of York
2010-07-01
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| Series: | Internet Archaeology |
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| Online Access: | http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue28/hurst_index.html |
| _version_ | 1797225059649060864 |
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| author | Derek Hurst Alan Hunt Peter Davenport |
| author_facet | Derek Hurst Alan Hunt Peter Davenport |
| author_sort | Derek Hurst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aerial photography in 1957 resulted in the discovery of a rectangular double-ditched enclosure overlooking the Severn floodplain near Bewdley, Worcestershire (UK). Excavation in the 1970s, in advance of gravel extraction, provided limited evidence of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age activity prior to occupation in the later Iron Age, when the enclosure was established. This comprised a ditch and bank, and later a palisade and ditch, with single and double portal gateways respectively, and with buildings internally. Pottery and briquetage indicate trading links with the wider region, respectively with west and north Worcestershire, and with Droitwich. The main Iron Age occupation is dated from the 2nd century into the 1st century BC.
By the 3rd-4th centuries AD the site was apparently cultivated, as small quantities of Romano-British pottery were scattered across it, probably as a result of manuring arable fields associated with a nearby, but as yet unlocated, settlement. Similarly, in the medieval and post-medieval periods a thin scatter of finds in the overlying soils indicated further agricultural activity.
Unusually, the 1979 Iron Age site structural analysis has been largely retained in the current report without full revision but accompanied by a separate modern commentary, allied with the updated finds and environmental reporting, and overall discussion. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2a98ddc1d3e64a61a9d0bcb52cef56a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1363-5387 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:03:00Z |
| publishDate | 2010-07-01 |
| publisher | University of York |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a98ddc1d3e64a61a9d0bcb52cef56a92024-04-03T11:06:02ZengUniversity of YorkInternet Archaeology1363-53872010-07-012810.11141/ia.28.3 Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977Derek Hurst0Alan Hunt Peter DavenportUniversity of WorcesterAerial photography in 1957 resulted in the discovery of a rectangular double-ditched enclosure overlooking the Severn floodplain near Bewdley, Worcestershire (UK). Excavation in the 1970s, in advance of gravel extraction, provided limited evidence of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age activity prior to occupation in the later Iron Age, when the enclosure was established. This comprised a ditch and bank, and later a palisade and ditch, with single and double portal gateways respectively, and with buildings internally. Pottery and briquetage indicate trading links with the wider region, respectively with west and north Worcestershire, and with Droitwich. The main Iron Age occupation is dated from the 2nd century into the 1st century BC. By the 3rd-4th centuries AD the site was apparently cultivated, as small quantities of Romano-British pottery were scattered across it, probably as a result of manuring arable fields associated with a nearby, but as yet unlocated, settlement. Similarly, in the medieval and post-medieval periods a thin scatter of finds in the overlying soils indicated further agricultural activity. Unusually, the 1979 Iron Age site structural analysis has been largely retained in the current report without full revision but accompanied by a separate modern commentary, allied with the updated finds and environmental reporting, and overall discussion.http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue28/hurst_index.htmlarchaeologyWorcestershire; Iron Age; enclosure; pottery; environmental evidence;WorcestershireIron Ageenclosurepotteryenvironmentenvironmental evidence |
| spellingShingle | Derek Hurst Alan Hunt Peter Davenport Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 Internet Archaeology archaeology Worcestershire; Iron Age; enclosure; pottery; environmental evidence; Worcestershire Iron Age enclosure pottery environment environmental evidence |
| title | Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 |
| title_full | Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 |
| title_fullStr | Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 |
| title_short | Iron Age Settlement at Blackstone, Worcestershire: Excavations 1972, 1973, and 1977 |
| title_sort | iron age settlement at blackstone worcestershire excavations 1972 1973 and 1977 |
| topic | archaeology Worcestershire; Iron Age; enclosure; pottery; environmental evidence; Worcestershire Iron Age enclosure pottery environment environmental evidence |
| url | http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue28/hurst_index.html |
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