Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2003

Report on the 2003 season of
archaeological excavation at Mellor
Contents
Acknowledgements 1
Non Technical Summary 2
1.Introduction 3
2.Physical Setting 6
3. Aims and Methodology 7
4. Excavation Results
4.1 Trench 18 10
4.2 Trial trenches 6 and 7 18
4.3 Trench 25 19
4.4 Trench 23 22
4.5 Trench 21 23
4.6 Trench 22 30
4.7 Trial trenches 3; 4 and 5 35
4.8 Trench 24 35
4.9 Trial trenches 8 to 15 40
5 Conclusions 44
Mellor - its archaeological context and future by Norman Redhead

directions of study
Appendix 1 Conservation Report

Appendix 2 Mellor smallfinds Report
Appendix 3 Notes on the Samian Ware
Appendix 4 The Romano-British Pottery
Appendix 5 Notes on the 2003 flintwork
Appendix 6 Pollen Analysis
University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

September 2004
Acknowledgements
The University of Manchester Archaeological Unit would like to thank the following people
and organisations whose support is a vital part of the continuing success of the excavations at
Mellor:-
The Heritage Lottery ‘Your Heritage’ Fund and Stockport Borough Council for their financial
support of the project. The Mellor Archaeological Trust for organising the open weekends and
many other events which publicise and disseminate the results of the excavations. The Friends
of Mellor for their support and commitment of time, energy and finances to the excavations
and events. John and Anne Hearle, Peter Hodgeson and Charlie Bowden for allowing
excavations to take place on their land. Norman Redhead the Assistant County Archaeologist
for Greater Manchester for his advice and guidance during the excavations. The Mellor Parish
Centre for the use of their facilities during the excavation. Dave Watson and Paul Hudson for
the donation of machinery to assist with the excavation and backfilling. Graham Hudson and
John Hodgeson for their time, skill and patience in driving the machines. Last but by no
means least thanks are due to all the people who volunteered on the excavation and open
weekend in 2003 and made them such successful and enjoyable events.

September 2004 1
Non Technical Summary
The excavations conducted over the past six years around the Old Vicarage at Mellor,
Stockport (SJ9818 8890) have revealed the presence of extensive multi-period settlement.
Previous excavation seasons have identified the site as an Iron Age settlement (GM
SMR11249.1.1). In addition the recovery of flint fragments dated to the Mesolithic period
suggest the presence of a seasonal hunter-gatherer camp while the presence of sherds of
Roman pottery have hinted at Romano-British settlement.
Excavation in 2003 revealed a large ditch cut into the natural sandstone bedrock. The ditch
appears to run roughly south west to north east and was between 4m and 5.50m wide and on
average 2.00m deep. This ditch may represent elements of an inner, defensive ditch
surrounding the west end of the hilltop at Mellor. In total a 5m stretch of ditch was excavated
which produced an abundance of finds including fragments of quern stones, 5 Roman
brooches and over 200 sherds of Romano British pottery. Running parallel to the west side of
the ditch was a narrow stone lined gully. This may represent a slot cut to take a wooden
palisade which along with the ditch would have presented a formidable defensive
arrangement. Two trial trenches excavated immediately opposite 10m north of the ditch did
not reveal any definite evidence of the ditch continuing in this direction. However it was clear
that archaeological features were present in both trenches.
Also revealed in 2003 was the eastern half of the curving gullies found in previous years
excavations. Together these now form an almost complete circle some 11m in diameter. It
now seems fairly certain that these gullies represent the drainage system around an Iron Age
roundhouse.
An area of highly eroded sandstone to the south of the gullies in Tr21 produced a large
number of flint flakes dating from the Mesolithic period. The location were they were found
is very close to the area of Tr3 which produced flints from the same period during the 1999
excavations. This is further indication that the hilltop at Mellor was a favoured site for the
seasonal hunter gatherers of the Mesolithic period.
To the north of the Old Vicarage the excavation of two trenches extended the known line of
the enclosure ditch 15m to the east. Beyond this topsoil stripping of 8 trial trenches has raised
the possibility that the enclosure ditch is far more extensive than was originally thought.
In November a trench was excavated at the west end of the Old Vicarage garden. It revealed
that the flat hill top in this area is the result of extensive landscaping. It would seem that the
ditch found in this area in previous years which now sits amid the flat lawn was originally cut
on the natural break of slope on this side of the hill top. This would have meant that the ditch
and any associated bank or palisade would have been a highly visible part of the landscape.

September 2004 2
1. Introduction
1.1 Archaeological Background 1995-2002
Ann Hearle, Chair of Marple Local History Society and Dr Peter Arrowsmith of the
University of Manchester Archaeological Unit (UMAU) first suggested the presence of an
Iron Age Hillfort at Mellor in 1998. The suggestion was based on a photograph taken by Ann
Hearle of the field to the north of her house at the Old Vicarage during the summer of 1995.
The majority of the grass in the field had been bleached brown by the sun. However the
photograph showed a line of lush grass arcing across the field. It was felt that the line might
be following that of a filled in ditch. The less compact nature of the in fill of the ditch would
retain water and so better sustain the grass above it in times of drought.
The next step was a geophysical survey which confirmed the presence of a below ground
anomaly corresponding to the line of grass in the field (Area B) and others in the garden of
the Old Vicarage itself (Area A). Excavation started in the summer of 1998. Tr1 over one of
the anomalies in the garden revealed a large ditch cut into the sandstone bedrock. In places
this section of ditch was over 4m wide and 2.10m deep. The top fills of this ditch contained
fragments of Roman tile, pottery and glass. Lower down the fills contained pottery and other
artefacts dating from the Iron Age. The high charcoal content of one of these fills near the
base of the ditch meant that a sample could be taken for radiocarbon analysis. This sample
produced a date of 430 BC + or - 140 years. In 2002 an evaluation trench, Tr18, was
excavated over an anomaly detected by a geophysical survey at the east end of the Old
Vicarage garden. This revealed the west side of a wide, deep archaeological feature cut into
the sandstone bedrock, which because of the size of the trench could not be fully excavated
and interpreted. However one possibility was that it might be part of a large ditch.
Trenches have also been excavated over the anomaly in Area B, to the north of the Old
Vicarage. These have revealed a c400m stretch of an Iron Age ditch running southwest to
northeast. The ditch in this field is around 2m wide and about 1.70m deep. The 2001
excavation on this section of ditch produced 125 sherds of pottery belonging to the same Iron
Age pot. These have now been conserved and the pot reconstructed. Excavation has so far
concentrated on defining the extent of this ditch to the north and west of the Old Vicarage. In
November 2002 a geophysical survey using a magnetometer was carried out in the field to the
south east of Area B to look for indications of an eastern arm of the ditch. On the basis of the
survey results two trial trenches were excavated which failed to find any evidence for the
ditch.
The archaeology within the area enclosed by the ditch has not been neglected. In 1999 Trench
3 was opened up in the centre of the Old Vicarage garden. In the eastern half of this trench the
sandstone bedrock was covered by a layer of boulder clay. Cut into this layer was a complex
pattern of postholes, ditches and gullies ranging in date from the Mesolithic period 5 to
10,000 years ago through to the Roman period. In 2002 a 10m square, Trench 16, was opened
adjacent to Trench 3. Amongst the features found in Trench 16 were a series of gullies, which
September 2004 3
formed an arc within the west half of the trench. The results from this trench allowed a fuller
interpretation of the features from Trench 3 to be made. This suggested that the curving
gullies continued beyond the boundaries of Trench 16 presenting the possibility that they
would form a complete circle typical of the drainage gullies found outside Iron Age
roundhouses. Radio Carbon dates from charcoal taken from the fill of these gullies gave a
date of between 380 BC and 520 BC. Finds from Trench 16 included a polished flint chisel
of a style associated with the Late Neolithic Period. c2-3,000 BC.
In 1999 the Mellor Archaeological Trust was set up to develop funding for the excavations
and control the work. The Trust has had great success in raising funds from Heritage Lottery
grants and from revenue raised on open days and other events held during the year. In addition
the Trust has received generous financial assistance over the past five years from Stockport
Metropolitan Borough Council.
The excavations in 2003 were carried out entirely by volunteers under the supervision of three
archaeologists from the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit who are funded by the
Mellor Archaeological Trust and Mr Donald Reid, archaeological advisor for the Mellor
Archaeological Trust.
1.2 Community Involvement
In 1999 the Mellor Archaeological Trust was set up to :-
Promote the investigation, interpretation and preservation of the archaeology of the area
surrounding Mellor Church and of other parts of Mellor, Stockport, in the County of Greater
Manchester.
Organise displays, educational activities, or other means of bringing information on the

history and archaeology to the notice of the public.
The Trust has had great success in raising funds from Heritage Lottery grants and from
revenue raised on open days and other events held during the year.
All the excavation is carried out by volunteers who in 2003 were guided by three professional
archaeologists from the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit and Don Reid a highly
experienced member of the Mellor Archaeological Trust. In 2003 over 90 individuals
volunteered their time to help with the excavations and open weekend. Over the six weeks of
excavation there were on average 21 people per day volunteering on the excavations. In
addition the local communities support of the project was demonstrated by the loan of over
£2,000 worth of equipment, free of charge, to the excavations by local firms.
The annual open weekends started in 1999 as a single day, which attracted over 800 visitors.
It has now expanded to cover a whole weekend towards the end of the excavations. To date
over 5,000 visitors have attended the open weekends, which includes an updated colour

September 2004 4
booklet about the site, guided site tours and various displays, and activities organised and run
by the Mellor Archaeological Trust and staffed by members of the local community and the
Friends Of The Mellor Archaeological Trust. One of the highlights is the replica Iron Age
round house built by students of the Ridge Danyers College as part of the European
Community Culture Programme, the Mnesonyme Project. This years open weekend is on the
4th and 5th of September.
The open weekend attracts great media interest and regularly appears on regional television
news programmes. As well as the publicity and community involvement the success of this
event is vital to the funding of the project. The Trust has commissioned a professional
company to make a film record of the excavations called Ancient Mellor Revealed. This year
the excavation was also the subject of a BBC Radio 4 programme. The production company
made several recording visits throughout the 2003 season and the half hour programme was
broadcast on Saturday 20th December. An article about the excavations also appeared in the
December issue of Current Archaeology, the country’s most popular archaeology magazine.
The Mellor archaeological project is also publicised through numerous lectures and talks
given by members of the Trust, UMAU and GMAU which in the last year has included the
Mellor Archaeology Trust hosting the Council for British Archaeology’s regional annual
conference at the Mellor Parish Centre.
Fig 1: Some of the excavation team inspect the Iron Age ditch first excavated by the
inhabitants of Mellor over 2,000 years ago.

September 2004 5
2. The Physical Setting
The site is centred around National Grid Reference SJ 9818 8890. It lies in the parish of
Mellor, approximately six miles south east of the centre of Stockport.
Sheet 98 of the Geological Survey of Great Britain shows the solid geology to be Westphalian
A Sandstones from the Late Carboniferous Period. In places this is overlaid by Boulder Clay.
The site lies at the west end of a promontory of land c220m AOD. The promontory slopes
quite sharply to the south, west and north. To the east the promontory gently rises over a
distance of 900m to an unnamed summit at 278m AOD.
Fig 2: Site Location plan based on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000.

September 2004 6
3. Aims and Methodology
In 2003 each of the trenches excavated at Mellor had a specific question to answer. Trench 21
(Tr21) was opened next to the 1999 and 2002 trenches to determine the extent and form of the
gullies found those years in trenches 3 and 16. In particular Tr21 was intended to examine the
possibility that these gullies represented drainage gullies surrounding an Iron Age roundhouse
(Fig 3). To do this Tr21 would follow the gullies to see if they continued to describe a circle,
the form of these features associated with roundhouses on other sites. Initially a 13m long
north arm of Tr21 was excavated. This ran east to west parallel to the southern edges of the
backfilled trenches 3 and 16. Under the supervision of UMAU archaeologists a mechanical
excavator was used to remove the topsoil and sub soil in this arm of the trench which was
then hand excavated to reveal the archaeological contexts. Subsequently Tr21 was expanded
south in a series of hand excavated steps to follow the curving gullies. This west arm of Tr21
ran north for 10m up to the west end of the rhododendron bush which marked the limit of the
area available for excavation. The north west corner of Tr21 was expanded north by 2.0m to
give a broader view of the archaeological survival in this part of Area A. In addition Tr23
was excavated in the small space available between the south west corner of Tr16 and the
edge of the rhododendron bush. Tr23 was excavated to confirm that the gullies found in Tr16
continued to curve south west. When completed there was only a 7.0m gap between the west
arm of Tr21 and Tr23. At the end of the excavation both Tr21 and Tr23 were backfilled.
Trench 22 was planned as part of the campaign to trace the line of the east arm of the Iron
Age ditch excavated in previous seasons in Area B. Along with geophysical survey these
excavations had defined the line of this ditch running south west to north east across Area B.
However attempts through geophysics and trial trenching to determine the line of the ditch
east, beyond Area B had proved inconclusive. It was therefore decided to excavate Tr21 as
close as possible to the eastern boundary wall of Area B. Topsoil and subsoil were stripped
from Tr22 using a mechanical excavator under the supervision of archaeologists from
UMAU. The removal of this material exposed a layer of natural boulder clay against which
the fill of an archaeological feature running west to east up to the east wall of Area B. This
wall is one of two parallel walls 8.0m apart which run north to south up the north slope of the
hill at Mellor. The area they enclose is known as the Ale House track way. The feature in
Tr21 was excavated by hand and once this had confirmed it was the ditch the topsoil and
subsoil were removed by machine from four trial trenches within the Ale House track way.
The purpose of these trial trenches was to determine whether or not the ditch continued east
into the next field (Area D) or if it turned north to follow the line of the track way. In the trial
trench excavated north to south, parallel to the east wall of the track way, the fill of an
archaeological feature could be clearly seen following the same east to west alignment as in
Tr22. This trial trench was designated as Trench 24. The feature was hand excavated which
confirmed that it was the same ditch as seen in Tr22 and elsewhere in Area B. Trenches 22,
24 and the trial trenches were all backfilled.

September 2004 7
By a happy coincidence the 2003 excavations coincided with the owner of the field forming
Area D ploughing it prior to re seeding. He gave permission for a machine to be used to
topsoil and subsoil strip trial trenches within Area D in an attempt to follow the line of the
ditch east from Tr24. Time constraints meant that it was not possible to excavate any of the
features observed in the trial trenches. In all eight of these trenches were stripped over a 120m
long line. In each of the trenches some form of soil difference could be detected running
roughly east to west.
A geophysical survey of the Old Vicarage garden carried out in January 2002 had located a
large archaeological feature at the east end of Area A, the Old Vicarage garden. During that
years excavation a small trench (18) had been opened across the line of the anomaly adjacent
to the driveway to the Old Vicarage. It had not proved possible that year to fully determine the
size or function of the feature. Therefore the 2002 trench was left open and in 2003 it was re
visited and expanded. An area roughly 9.0m by 7.0m around the 2002 trench was opened up
by hand. Removal of the topsoil and subsoil revealed the full extent of the feature located in
2002 which was then excavated by hand. Under the supervision of UMAU archaeologists a
metal detecting strategy was implemented within Tr18 which helped recover a number of
finds dating from the Roman period. As part of the Mellor Archaeological Trust’s education
and interpretation policy John and Ann Hearle kindly agreed to leave Tr18 open as part of a
public display.
As a result of the findings from Tr18 two trial trenches were hand excavated 10.0m to the
north of Tr18 on the opposite side of the driveway. The purpose of these trenches was to see if
the feature found in Tr18 continued into Area C. Both trial trenches were backfilled after
recording was complete.
A further piece of work was carried out in November 2003. Collation of the 2003 results
suggested that there may be a double ditch system around the hilltop at Mellor. To try and
gain more information a 12m long trench (25) was hand excavated to the north east of Tr1 at
the west end of Area A. Tr 25 was backfilled after recording was completed.

September 2004 8
Fig 3: Mellor archaeological evaluation 1998 - 2003. Trench location plan.

September 2004 9
4. Excavation Results
4.1 Trench 18
In 2000, a geophysical survey undertaken by Geoquest associates identified a linear anomaly

running roughly north to south at the east end of Area A near the present day drive to the Old
Vicarage. Excavation of Trench 18 during the summer of 2002 confirmed the presence of a
large archaeological feature cut into the natural sandstone bedrock. Only one edge of the
feature was revealed that year and the feature was not excavated to its full depth. Numerous
sherds of pottery dating from the 1st to 4th century A.D. were recovered from the excavated
upper fills of this feature. It was felt that the most likely interpretation of the feature was that
it represented a large ditch of the Roman period. To test this theory Tr18 was expanded during
the 2003 season in order to fully excavate a section of this feature.
The extended Tr18 was sub-square in shape 9m along the south side, 8.5m along the north,
4.5m the west and 7m the east. Turf, topsoil (300) and subsoil (301) were removed by hand.
Layer (300) was a friable, dark brown grey humic silt clay with very occasional small stones.
Layer (301) was a friable, mid brown silt clay, containing occasional small stones. During
excavation both layers produced numerous sherds of post medieval and 20th century pottery as
well as 18th and 19th century clay pipe stems, glass and ferrous objects.
The area of Tr18 was then trowel cleaned at which stage two features were clearly visible cut
into the bedrock (Fig 4). One, cut [302], was a linear feature running diagonally north west to
south east across the south west corner of the trench. This feature was distinctive due to the
number of flat fragments of sandstone sitting on edge within it (320). Cut [302] ran parallel
to the second feature in Tr18, cut [303] which was obviously the one encountered during the
2002 excavation. The top fill of this feature a dark brown sand silt was clearly visible against
the yellow brown of the natural sandstone At their highest level both these features were cut
through layer (309). This was a loose layer of natural yellow brown sandstone highly eroded
and fragmented by ice, weather and roots. In the area of Tr18 this layer was between 0.20m
and 0.30m deep and sat above (310) which was much more compact and had complete plates
of sandstone.
Two 0.50m long sections of [302] were excavated to record its profile and fills. These showed
it to be between 0.30m and 0.42m wide and on average 0.15m deep with square profile. The
cut contained two fills, (320) and (328). Fill (320) was c 0.30m wide and c 0.12m deep. In
composition was a mid brown silt sand which contained occasional small sub-angular and
sub- rounded stones. What made this fill so distinctive was that a number of sub-angular
fragments of the natural sandstone had been placed vertically so that their long axis
corresponded to the orientation of [302] (Fig 7). Many of these stones stood proud of the top
of the feature so that although only two sections of this feature were excavated the presence of
these on edge stones in the un excavated portions could be clearly discerned. Fill (320) lay
over a second fill, (328), a friable, light brown silt sand containing occasional sub-angular and

September 2004 10
sub- rounded stones. In the sections excavated fill (328) had a maximum width of 80mm and
a maximum depth of 0.10m. There were no artifacts recovered from either of these two fills.
Cut [303] was excavated along the full 7.0m length of Tr18 and clearly continued north west
and south east beyond the limits of Tr18 The excavation provided two vertical sections for
recording. The north facing section was at a right angle across the ditch while the south facing
section, an extension of the 2002 excavation presents a slightly elongated aspect of the
features profile and fills. The top of cut [303] varied in width from 4.0m across the north
facing section to 4.50m at the most northerly point were a true cross section measurement
could be taken. This widening is also reflected at the base of the cut. At it’s south end the base
was 0.98m wide while the most northerly true measurement was just over 2.0m. The north
end of the ditch also gives the impression of a slight curve to the east. The depth of cut [303]
in Tr18 varied between 1.75m and 1.90m. The feature cut through the natural sandstone of the
area and had a smooth flat base and irregular sides. The deposition of the sandstone bedrock
in horizontal bedding plains facilitated the regularity of the base. The same geological
arrangement meant that the sides descended in a series of small steps as [303] cut down
through the multiple bedding plains. For the most part the sides slope at roughly 45 degrees
however each side has two definite and corresponding faces of excavation. At these points the
sides of [303] had been deliberately cut to a much steeper angle by the original excavators of
the feature. The irregular nature of the sides was exacerbated by four natural, vertical, joints
which run east to west through the sandstone in this area.
The ditch fills (Fig 5) were as follows :-
The uppermost fill of [303] was (341) a dark brown friable sand silt. Fill (341) had a
maximum depth of 0.20m and lay immediately below the subsoil. Fill (341) was only found
during excavation of the north half of [302] and possibly represents the natural silting of a
hollow caused by the settling of the other fills of [303].
Fill (304) was a friable mid/dark brown grey clay silt containing occasional small to medium
stones and flecks of charcoal. Fill (304) had a maximum depth of 0.25m. A number of sherds
of Roman pottery were recovered from (304) (Appendices 3 & 4) as well as fragments of two
bronze brooches Appendices 1 & 2).
Fill (305) was a friable light grey clay silt including frequent small to medium stones and
flecks of charcoal. Like (304) fill (305) ran the full length of the excavated portion of [302].
Fill (305) increased in depth from south to north to a maximum of 0.45m. It was from this fill
that the majority of finds were recovered.
Fill (307) was a friable light grey/brown clay silt with a maximum depth of 0.25m.
Fill (311) was a friable mid grey brown sand silt containing frequent flecks of charcoal and
clay. It had a maximum depth of 0.10m and was confined to the western edge of cut [303] and
was not apparent in the north facing section of cut [303].

September 2004 11
Fill (313) was also only found against the west edge and was not present in either of the
sections. (313) was a friable light brown sand with a maximum depth of 0.25m.
Fill (306) was a friable light brown clay silt with occasional small and medium fragments of
sub-angular sandstone and small sub-rounded stones. (306) also included occasional flecks of
charcoal. The maximum recorded depth of fill (306) was 0.40m.
Fill (340) was a friable light brown clay silt with a maximum depth of 0.12m. It contained
frequent small sub angular and sub- rounded stones.
Fill (312) was a friable light brown clay silt with a maximum depth of 0.30m. It contained
frequent small and medium fragments of sub-angular sandstone and occasional sub-rounded
stones
Fill (314) was a friable mid-grey sand silt with a maximum depth of 0.25m. It contained
frequent charcoal flecks and frequent small to large fragments of sub-angular sandstone.
Fill (315) consisted of loose and often voided medium and large fragments of sub-angular
sandstone and occasional patches of light brown clay silt. (315) had a maximum recorded
depth of 0.50m. A large fragment of a beehive quern was found amongst the dense
concentration of sandstone within this fill.
Fill (316) was a very compact mid-orange brown clay silt with a maximum depth of
0.25m.(316) contained frequent small fragments of sub-angular sandstone and occasional
flecks of charcoal.
Fill (338) consisted of loose small sub angular fragments of sandstone, occasional medium
patches of light brown clay and occasional flecks of charcoal. (338) had a maximum depth of
0.18m.
Fill (329) was a friable mid brown sand silt with frequent small sub angular fragments of
sandstone and very occasional charcoal flecks.

September 2004 12
Discussion
The excavations in Tr18 during 2003 confirmed the hypothesis developed the previous year
that the anomaly located by geophysics in 2001 is a large ditch. As with the excavations in
2002 numerous artifacts dating from the 1st to 4th century A.D. were recovered suggesting a
Roman date for the ditch. However unlike 2002 the 2003 excavation was able to fully
excavate a length of the feature allowing a more complete and detailed analysis of its form
and alignment. In terms of dimensions the ditch section in Tr18 is similar to that excavated in
Tr1 between 1998 and 2000. This section has been interpreted as part of an Iron Age ditch
system. Perhaps the ditch sections in Tr1 and Tr18 were once linked and formed part of a
defensive Iron Age enclosure. The vast majority of Roman artifacts were recovered from
(304) and (305) the upper fills of the ditch. The number and variety of Roman finds from
these fills, along with the nature in which they seem to have been tipped in, seem to indicate
that this part of the ditch was being used as a rubbish pit. The charcoal and daub found in fills
(305) and (311) suggest that this rubbish deposition might be associated with the final
abandonment of the site in the 4th century A.D.
The high percentage of small sandstone fragments in fills (329) and (320) suggest they
resulted from natural silting and erosion into the ditch. The frequency of larger sandstone
fragments in fills (314) and (315) may be evidence that at least some of the bedrock excavated
during the construction of the ditch was piled alongside it to form a bank. There has been no
evidence found so far from any of the Iron Age ditch sections excavated at Mellor of an
associated bank. However the ditch sections do seem to indicate that this is at least partly due
to a deliberate in-filling of ditches using what may be material that originally formed a bank.
Analysis of the Roman artifacts hints at a substantial and prolonged settlement at Mellor
during the Roman period. As yet there is very little evidence of this period of occupation from
archaeological contexts excavated at Mellor. There are a few features which stratigraphically
may belong to this period but there is certainly no dominating Roman archaeological
‘footprint’ to suggest a whole scale supplanting of an Iron Age community. The dating
evidence so far for the Iron Age settlement at Mellor places it in the 5th century B.C. It is
possible that the site was abandoned in the Iron Age and re occupied in the Roman period.
However if this was the case, given the current interpretation of the Roman finds assemblage,
it might be expected that archaeological features indicative of Roman buildings and
occupation would have shown up in considerable numbers within the trenches excavated at
Mellor. Another possibility is that the area of occupation in the Roman period was outside
that covered by the evaluation trenches excavated so far at Mellor. The size of the hill is such
that a substantial Roman civilian or military structure could lie so far undiscovered. Yet
another possibility is that rather than being a product of a settlement in Roman times the
Roman artifacts are a result of the site having some significance within the landscape. Perhaps
a small shrine related to one of the springs present on the hilltop resulted in offerings. This
might especially be the case if the site lay on a well used route and may explain why no
Roman buildings have yet been discovered.

September 2004 16
The presence of Roman artifacts does not necessarily mean that the indigenous Iron Age
community had left the site. It is possible that they continued to inhabit the hill top and simply
adopted the available material culture of the Roman world. Previous trenches at Mellor have
revealed a few archaeological features which stratigraphically could belong to the Roman
period however nothing that indicates a thriving Romano British community. The excavation
of Tr16 in 2002 did produce evidence that land use changed within Area A during the Iron
Age with features more indicative of stock enclosures cutting through gullies associated with
an Iron Age roundhouse. If this is the case then it is possible that the evidence for continuous
settlement of the hilltop spanning the late Iron Age and Roman period also lies outside the
area’s so far evaluated.
Occasional finds dating from the Roman period were found in underlying fills although their
frequency dropped dramatically. Fills (314) and (315) were the earliest fills from which
artifacts dating from the Roman period were recovered. It is possible that (315) represents the
primary fill of this ditch as it stood in the Roman period and that the ditch in its full extent is
part of the Iron Age settlement at Mellor. The fills below (315) may therefore represent
infilling of the ditch prior to the site’s occupation in the Roman period. Contexts (338) and
(329) represent the basal fills of [303] and were characterised by their degraded sandstone
matrix. Both these fills were hand sieved after excavation in order to maximise finds retrieval.
Two small flint flakes were recovered during this process. Whilst it is possible that they
represent the inadvertent deposition of earlier material culture within a later feature it is more
probable that they indicate a pre Roman date for the excavation of the ditch.
In 1998 Tr2 was excavated in the south west corner of Area A and picked up the line of the
ditch found in Tr1. A feature very similar to cut [302] was found running next to the ditch in
Tr2. Cut [302] lies about 1.50m to the west of the ditch and runs roughly parallel to it. This
may represent a gully cut to take the timbers of a palisade running alongside the ditch.
Upright fragments of sandstone have been found in many post holes and gullies excavated at
Mellor. These fragments make ideal material for wedging timber posts, stakes and fences
tightly in place, particularly useful on the hard sandstone bedrock. Another possibility is that
it held posts or planks designed to support an earth and stone bank associated with the ditch.
The interpretation of cut [302] must remain tentative and it is hoped that excavations in 2004
will provide more evidence.
The similarities between the ditch in Tr18 and Tr1 and the evidence for a palisade in Tr18 and
Tr2 open the possibility that they are part of a continuous, defensive system surrounding that
part of the settlement largely contained within Area A. This theory would have the ditch in
Tr18 following roughly the line of the Old Vicarage driveway on the north side and from Tr1
running south and then turning east to follow the line of the churchyard. This possibility has
major implications for our interpretation of the settlement at Mellor. In particular if the ditch
in Tr18 is associated with that in Tr1 and Tr2 how does this system relate to the sections of
ditch excavated in several trenches in Area B ? It seems that there are three possibilities :-
1) That the hilltop was surrounded by two contemporary ditches which join close to Tr1at the
west end of Area A. This would fit in with the interpretation of this part of Area A being the
September 2004 17
site of an entranceway. It is worth noting that the increase in size towards the north end of the
ditch excavated in Tr18 may also be indicative of an entrance at the east end of Area A. If so
then it is probably beneath the present driveway to the Old Vicarage immediately north of
Tr18. It would not be too surprising if we discovered that this modern entrance followed the
line of an ancient one. If the ditches are contemporary then it is possible they served to
separate areas of different activity. Perhaps habitation was confined to the area within the
larger ditch while the area between the two ditches was given over to specific agricultural and
industrial activities.
2) Geophysical survey and excavation suggest that if the line the ditch in Area B and in Tr1
were projected they would join. However it is possible that instead of joining they run
concentrically, separated by a relatively short distance. If the ditches in Area B and Area A
are contemporary and if there was an entrance close to Tr1 a bi- vallate ditch system at the
west end of the hill top would necessitate a more complex and elaborate arrangement.
3)It may be the case that the ditches in Area A and Area B are not contemporary. The less
substantial but more extensive ditch excavated in Area B does not seem to serve a defensive
function. It may represent a boundary ditch simply demarcating the settlement. The more
substantial ditch system represented in trenches 1 and 18 may date from a time when security
was more of an issue.
During the summer of 2003 and then in November of that year opportunities presented
themselves to try and gain more information about the ditch in Tr18 and the ditch system at
the west end of Area A.
4.2 Trial Trenches 6 and 7
Time and staff levels during the summer excavation meant that it was possible to open two
trial trenches ( 6 and 7 ) immediately opposite TR18. They were located c5m away, on the
opposite side of the Old Vicarage drive, in Area C. The purpose of trial trenches 6 and 7 was
twofold; one was to evaluate the archaeological potential of this area with a view to possible
further excavation in forthcoming seasons; the other was to ascertain whether the ditch in
Tr18 continued into this area and if so did it continue north, turn west towards Tr1 or perhaps
terminate as part of an entrance. The removal of topsoil and subsoil revealed that the natural
soil in this part of Area C was boulder clay.
Trial trench 6 was the more easterly of the two trial trenches located directly opposite Tr18
and designed to pick up a northerly continuation of the ditch in Tr18. It was orientated east to
west and measured 2.0m by 5.0m. Within trial trench 6 several spreads of stones of various
sizes were visible including some which were set on edge in a similar fashion to those seen in
cut [302] in Tr18. However on excavation it became clear that there was no evidence of the
ditch in this trial trench. Excavation did reveal a curvilinear gully with near vertical sides and
a flat base running east to north west across the trial trench. This feature appeared to cut
through other archaeological contexts within the trial trench.
September 2004 18
Trial trench 7 was located 5.0m to the west of trial trench 6. It was orientated north to south
with the intention of picking up the ditch if it turned to the west towards Tr1.Trial trench 7
measured 2.0m by 6.5m. After the removal of topsoil and subsoil it was clear that as with trial
trench 6 there were a number of inter-cutting archaeological features present within this trial
trench. A spread of medium and large sandstone fragments running east to west across the
north end of the trial trench stood out in particular. Due to the potential complexity of the
archaeology and the timescale of the excavation it was not felt appropriate to carry out any
excavation within trial trench 7. Therefore any interpretation of the stone spread in trial trench
7 as a westward continuation of the ditch is highly tentative.
Discussion
Neither of the trial trenches produced any definitive evidence relating to the ditch found in
Tr18. It might be that the ditch does indeed terminate just beyond the north section of Tr18.
Another possibility is that any westward change in direction of the ditch is much sharper and
that its western arm runs beneath the drive of the Old Vicarage. Despite this the excavation of
the two trial trenches was a very useful exercise. It confirmed the impression from Tr20
excavated in Area C in 2002 that this area contains good archaeological survival cut into the
natural boulder clay and it is intended that they form the basis for the main excavation trench
in 2004. In particular the fact that some of the features observed appear to have direct
stratigraphic relationship may help us to gain a better understanding of the phaseaology of the
site. It will also give us an insight into what sort of activity took place in the area between the
two ditches.
4.3 Trench 25
In November John and Ann Hearle gave permission for a further trench (25) to be excavated
to the north and west of Tr1 through part of the Old Vicarage vegetable garden. This trench
was excavated to ascertain the level of archaeological survival in this part of Area A. In
particular it was designed to see if there was any indication of the Iron Age ditch found in
Area B running as a separate entity to the west of the ditch in Tr1. This is a field owned by Mr
Peter Hodgeson who has graciously allowed excavation on his land adjacent to the Old
Vicarage for several years.
A single trench was excavated running east to west. The trench measured 12.0m by 1.5m.
Removal of topsoil and subsoil revealed natural sandstone. In the western two thirds of the
trench this was fractured bedrock while in the western third a lack of silica to bond the sand
together into rock meant that the natural was an orange brown friable sand. No evidence for
the Iron Age ditch was found in Tr25. However two other possible archaeological features
were observed. One of these was a possible post hole or small pits located at the extreme west
end of the trench. On excavation this feature proved to have very irregular sides and base
suggesting that it may be a geological feature or perhaps a tree bowl. In the eastern half of the
trench a layer of flat stones were uncovered. This layer was 1.5m wide and ran for 3.2m north
east to south west within the trench. On excavation it appeared that this layer of stones was set
September 2004 19
on a 0.25m deep levelling layer of sand. It would seem that this feature represents a path. No
dating evidence was obtained from either of these features.
Although no evidence for a ditch was found Tr25 proved extremely useful by providing us
with valuable information about how the topography of this part of Area A has been altered as
a result of landscaping. At first glance this part of the Old Vicarage garden appears relatively
flat. The garden level fell dropped by only 0.27m within the 12.0m within the area of Tr25. It
had been assumed that this reflected the ground surfaces during the hilltops previous
occupations, as had been the case in trenches excavated elsewhere within the garden. The
evidence from Tr25 shows that at some point this part of the garden has been extensively built
up by the importation of topsoil to form a level garden. The natural sandstone surface in fact
dropped by 1.26m along the length of the trench (Figs 8 & 9). Pottery recovered from the
topsoil suggests that the levelling occurred sometime in the 17th or 18th century.
Discussion
The discovery that this part of the garden has been landscaped has some important
implications for our interpretation of the site. As seen today the ditch excavated in Tr1 sits
above the break of slope within a flat part of the garden. However Tr25 has shown that in the
Iron Age it would have stood on the break of a steep slope. This would have made it far more
effective in regard to any defensive function it had and also a far more visible, and imposing,
feature within the landscape, especially if it was in conjunction with a bank or palisade.
Given the evidence from Tr25 it seems likely that the land immediately to the north of the Old
Vicarage has also been raised. This means that if the ditch in Area B extended into Area A it
would probably have to run up a fairly steep slope. Also if the ditch in Tr1 does curve
eastward towards Tr18 it is likely that it would be running along the top of that slope.

September 2004 20

September 2004 21
4.4 Trench 23
The combined results from the 1999 excavation of Tr3 and the 2002 excavation of Tr16 had
raised the possibility that an Iron Age roundhouse might once have stood in the middle of
Area A, the garden of the Old Vicarage. The basis of this interpretation was the edge of an un-
excavated feature recorded running north west to south east across the west side of Tr3. When
Tr16 was excavated a series of curving gullies were found which matched closely the feature
found in Tr3. When combined these features described a semi-circle. On many Iron Age sites
the primary archaeological evidence for the existence of roundhouses are the remains of the
circular drainage gullies which would have run around the house beneath the eaves of the
thatched roof. As ditches and gullies of various shapes and sizes are quite common on Iron
Age sites the evidence from Tr3 and Tr16 was not enough to say conclusively that the gullies
found in them would go on to form a circle. Therefore John and Ann Hearle gave permission
for trenches to be excavated in their garden with the specific intention of following the line of
the gullies found in the previous trenches. The only restriction on the excavations was quite
understandably the large rhododendron bush just a short distance to the south and west of the
point that the gullies ran out of the south west corner of Tr16. It was in the gap between the
bush and Tr16 that Tr23 was excavated (Fig 10).
Tr23 was hand excavated 4.5m long north to south by 1.5m wide. It quickly became obvious
that the gully from Tr16 did indeed continue to run south west through Tr23. It’s presence
was clearly indicated by the presence of a dark grey fill, (467), within the cut, [365]. This was
very similar to the charcoal rich fills of the gully found in Tr16. In Tr16 it would seem that
this fill represented a deliberate backfilling of the gullies. Excavation of fill (467) revealed a
second fill (465) which appeared to be derived from the surrounding natural boulder clay and
probably represents natural silting during the lifetime of the gully. The exposed gully cut was
excavated for a length of 1.20m. It was 0.75m wide and 0.30m deep. It’s sides initially sloped
steeply then broke to a shallower angle onto a flat base.
One of the most significant findings from Tr16 was the fact that in the south west corner of
the trench the roundhouse gullies were cut by a stone lined linear feature. This suggested a
change of function for this part of the Iron Age settlement. Immediately north of cut [365]
was a linear feature running east to west across Tr23. It’s fill, (390), contained a high
percentage of sandstone fragments. This feature appeared to be associated with a post hole.
As it is aligned perfectly with the stone lined gully found in Tr16 it probably represents the
westward extension of that feature.
Discussion
The section of gully excavated in Tr23 (Fig 11) was very similar to cut [114] the section of
gully excavated in the south west corner of Tr16. Like cut [114] this was a single gully
whereas immediately north of the stone lined gully in Tr16 there were clearly two phases of
gully. These have been interpreted as representing either a re-cutting of an original gully in
order to maintain it’s efficiency as a drainage gully or as representing a completely new gully
encircling a new roundhouse. There was no indication of a second phase of gully in Tr23.
September 2004 22
This would seem to support the theory that the gullies were re-cut. If a second phase of
roundhouse existed it might be expected that a new gully would be dug all the way around it.
However the maintenance of an original gully might only require re-cutting in certain areas
which is what seems to be the case in the south west corner of Tr16 and Tr23. As in Tr16 the
gully in Tr23 was cut entirely through boulder clay without any sign of the natural sandstone
bedrock. Cut [365] in Tr23 also seems to continue the trend seen in Tr16 of a shallowing of
the gullies as they ran south.
4.5 Trench 21
This trench was opened with the specific intention of discovering if the features found in Tr3
and Tr16 continued to curve north and east as part of a roundhouse gully. Initially a 13m long
by 2m wide trench was excavated parallel and adjacent to the north edges of Tr3 and Tr16.
The topsoil and much of the subsoil were stripped from this part of Tr21 using a mechanical
excavator. This excavation formed the north arm of Tr21. Excavation revealed a band of dark
brown clay silt, (358) which entered the from the south edge, 5.0m from the east end of the
trench. (358) showed up clearly against the orange brown natural boulder clay, (364), present
in this part of the trench (Fig 12). Initially only the northern portion of (358) could be seen so
this arm of Tr21 was widened slightly to reveal the full width of (358). From this point it
could be seen that (358) ran west along the trench describing a shallow arc before curving to
run south west into the corner of the trench.
At this point it was decided to extend the trench to the south in order to follow (358). By a
series of stepped hand dug trenches, 9.0m long, it was possible to trace the line of (358), first
as it curved west and south, and then as it curved again to run south east towards Tr23. These
steps formed the west arm of Tr21. As (358) ran south along this arm the most obvious
difference was the change in natural from boulder clay, to sandstone bedrock, and then as
(358) turned south east, back to boulder clay. The south end of this arm of Tr21 finished at the
edge of the rhododendron bush 7.0m to the west of Tr23 (Fig 13).
A series of sections were excavated through (358) (Fig 11). These showed that (358) filled cut
[365]. Within the north arm of Tr21 sections J and B revealed [365] to be c0.20m deep and c
0.40m wide. One side of each of these sections was near vertical while the other sloped at
around 45 degrees. Both sides had a sharp break of slope at the bottom and in these two
sections [365] had a flat base. Sections A and B showed that [365] was the latest of a series of
re-cuts, apparently of various sizes. In Section’s A and B the south edge of [370], one of the
earlier gullies, was cut through context (366). This context was similar to the natural boulder
clay but did seem to contain several moderate sized patches of charcoal. It is possible that
(366) represents the fill of an earlier archaeological feature, perhaps an earlier phase of gully
or a series of post holes. At the north apex of the curve a narrower, shallow, gully diverged
from the line of cut [365]. This gully, cut [360] ran in a curve for 4.0m before running into the
west section of Tr21. Cut [360] contained fill (359) a brown clay silt very similar to (358).
Section B revealed that (358) was cut by [365].

September 2004 23

September 2004 24

September 2004 25

September 2004 26
In the northern half of the west arm of Tr21 there was no covering of boulder clay and [365]
was cut directly through the sandstone bedrock, (367). In this part of the trench cut [365] was
generally wider and shallower than seen in the sections excavated through it to the north and
south. It would seem that the excavation of the cut in this area would simply require levering
out the plates of sandstone to form a channel. As would be expected with this technique the
edges of the cut are stepped and the base flat. In section’s E and F there is also an indication
that cut [365] was re-aligned. This is based on the presence of a central line in the sections
were the bedrock is at a higher level.
As cut [365] curves to run south east the boulder clay re appears. In section’s C and I the cut
was excavated to a depth of c 0.20m without any sign of the sandstone bedrock. Section I was
particularly interesting as even before excavation it was clear that (358) was cut by a linear
feature, [378], which ran east to west against the south edge of Tr21.
Although the aim of Tr21 was to follow the line of the round-house gullies found in earlier
trenches inevitably other archaeological features were observed and investigated. Cut’s [360]
and [378] have already been mentioned, however there were other archaeological features
discovered in previous years trenches which ran into Tr21. There were also some features
from previous years, which, based on alignment, were expected to appear in Tr21, but did not
(Fig 14).
Towards the centre of the north arm of Tr21 a linear gully, cut [389], emerged from the south
section. It ran north for 2.0m before terminating. Excavation showed that [389] cut (358) the
latest fill of the possible roundhouse gullies. Comparison with the plan of Tr3 showed that
this feature had been detected within this trench.
At the very east end of the north arm an ‘old friend’ put in an appearance. This was ditch cut
[353] which had first been recorded in Tr3 in 1999 and had appeared again in the very north
west corner of Tr16 in 2002. In Tr3 this feature was observed as the latest archaeological
feature in the trench. In Tr21 it continued to run on the same south west to north east
alignment as seen in the other trenches. This is a shallow cut with near vertical sides and a flat
base. Although this feature has now been recorded for a length of 10m there is still no real
indication of it’s function. However it is worth noting that cut [353] did not appear in the west
arm of Tr21. This would suggest that somewhere in the 4.0m gap between the south west
corner of Tr3 and the west arm of Tr21 cut [353] either terminates or turns. Given the shape
of Tr21 and the position of Tr16 it would seem that the only line [353] could change direction
to and remain undetected, would be south east towards the un-excavated area of the
rhododendron bush.
In a similar situation to [353] two other features, whose projected line would put them within
the west arm of Tr21, failed to ‘show up’. One of these was the stone lined gully found in
Tr16 and possibly seen continuing west this year in Tr23 as context (390). However the gap
between the west arm of Tr21 and Tr23 is larger than that between it and Tr3. This provides
more room for (390) to stop or deviate from a projected straight line. The other feature is a
stone lined gully observed running east to west across Tr3. The gap between the west section
September 2004 27
of Tr3 and Tr21 is only 2.0m suggesting that this feature should appear in Tr21. The
description of this feature is very similar to cut [94], the stone lined gully found in Tr16 and
which was seen to terminate in the south east corner of that trench. It is possible that these
gullies were excavated in relatively short stretches and that the one seen in Tr3 does in fact
terminate between the two trenches. In Tr16 the stone lined gully was seen to cut the possible
drainage gullies. However if the feature found in Tr3 was earlier than the gullies, and given
that the projected line would have the feature run through one of the narrowest points of Tr21
were cut [365] occupies almost the entire width of the trench, it is possible that no remains of
this feature survived in Tr21.
Within the north arm of Tr21 was an area of light grey sandy silt. This context, (394),
contained a high percentage of medium to large sandstone fragments. Context (394) measured
4.0m east to west and 1.0m north to south although it’s full extent could not be gauged as it
ran into the north section of the trench. A north to south section showed that it was the fill of
a cut [395]. Only the south side of this cut was revealed in the section and this revealed that
[395] was 0.32m deep , it’s south side sloped steeply to a curved break of slope and flat base.
As only part of the feature was exposed it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions as to it’s
function. On the surface (394) appeared rectangular in shape but this might be a false
impression as a result of this context spreading out over the surrounding natural.
It is tempting to think that [395] might be associated with layer (373) just 1.0m to the west.
When the north arm of Tr21 was excavated space was available which allowed the topsoil and
some of the subsoil to be removed by machine from a 2.0m by 4.0m northern extension at the
west end of this part of Tr21. During the machining a number of unstratified flint flakes were
recovered. When the remaining subsoil was excavated by hand further flakes were recovered
and their exact location and height recorded. After the removal of the subsoil layer (373) was
revealed. This layer was defined by the edge of cut [360] in the south and ran into the north,
west and east sections of the north arm of Tr21. Layer (373) was a distinctive light orange
brown in colour and was identified as representing a layer of highly weathered natural
sandstone. It’s texture was somewhere between the plated natural sandstone bedrock and the
occasional bands of natural sand which are sometimes found within it. Layer (373) contained
frequent small fragments of sandstone and very occasional large fragments, some of which
were on edge. Trowel cleaning of (373) resulted in 43 flint flakes being recovered which
when added to the 27 located during the excavation of subsoil and the 23 found within the
fills of cuts [360] and [365] gave a total of 93. In addition layer (373) lies close to the part of
Tr3 where a number of flint flakes were found in 1999. Analysis of the flint shows that they
are all Mesolithic in date (Appendix 5). The scatter patterns produced from plotting the
located flint are not specifically revealing, however along with those from Tr3 they confirm
that this particular part of Area A was the site of a hunter gatherer camp. A 0.20m slot was
excavated through (373) across an area of large sandstone fragments but this gave no
indication that they represented elements of a structure.

September 2004 28

September 2004 29
Discussion
Even without linking Tr21 and Tr23 by taking the records of trenches 3, 16, 21 and 23
together it is now clear that the part of Area A covered by these excavations was the site of at
least one Iron Age Roundhouse. It is likely that as well as re-cutting of the roundhouse gullies
to keep them functioning there was at least one re-positioning of these gullies suggesting a
major alteration or re-building of the roundhouse. The curvature and alignment of cut [365]
seems to correlate well with gully cuts [114] and [111] from Tr16. These are the more
westerly cuts in that trench. If they are associated it would give a diameter of c 11.0m for the
drainage gullies of this roundhouse. The curvature of the easterly gully cuts, [96], [233] and
[235] in Tr16 suggests that their continuation might lie slightly to the east of the west arm of
Tr21. It might be that context (366), seen between the gully cut and the south section in the
north arm of Tr21, represents the continuation of these cuts. It is also possible that the
smaller curving gullies, cuts [91] and [99], found in Tr16, are associated with cut [360] found
in Tr21. These too may once have formed a circle which given the difference in size between
them and cut [365] would suggest a third early phase of construction.
Even though, on the surface, all the sections in the north arm were cut through boulder clay,
this proved to be quite shallow and their bases were all formed of the natural sandstone
bedrock. Section G (Fig 11) was the closest excavated section of [365] to the gullies
excavated in Tr16 in 2002. These gullies had been excavated to a depth of 0.40m without any
indication of sandstone bedrock. This information along with evidence from other trenches is
allowing us to define the extent of this band of boulder clay. This in turn will allow us to
assess whether or not the different types of geology had any bearing on the use to which those
areas were put.
The shallow nature of the gully in the west arm of Tr21 indicates that depth was not an issue
when it came to excavating the drainage gully for the round house. Perhaps as for the
enclosure ditch it was enough to ensure that there was sufficient gradient for the gullies to
work efficiently. In the case of the north arm of Tr21 it was necessary to excavate down to the
sandstone bedrock while in the west arm all that was required was to create a shallow channel
by levering away a few plates of the sandstone.
4.6 Trench 22
Over a number of years several trenches had been excavated in Area B which along with
geophysical survey had served to locate the line of an Iron Age enclosure ditch running north
west to south east across the area (Fig 3). Trench 22 was designed to locate the position of the
Iron Age enclosure ditch in Area B as close as possible to the eastern boundary wall of that
area. The purpose was to use the results from Tr22 as a basis for tracing the line of this ditch,
east, beyond Area B. Trench 22 measured 11.60m by 4.00m. It was located within Area B
immediately to the east of the previously excavated trench 10 and adjacent and parallel to the
line of the west wall of the ‘Ale House’ track way which forms the eastern boundary of Area
B.

September 2004 30
The topsoil and subsoil was machine stripped from the trench to reveal the surviving
archaeological features which were then hand excavated. The geology into which these
archaeological features were cut differed from that found in previous trenches within Area B.
In these trenches the natural soil was the plated sandstone bedrock found elsewhere at Mellor
in Tr18, Tr3, Tr1 and the west side of Tr21. Whereas the natural geology within Tr 22, and
indeed, the subsequent 2003 trenches excavated to the east of Area B, was an orange brown
boulder clay, (420). This was virtually identical to the natural found in Tr16, Area C, and the
east half of Tr21. This seems to suggest that there is a band of boulder clay which covers the
sandstone bedrock and which runs south west to north east from the area around Tr16 on the
hilltop through Area C and into the very east end of Area B, the track way and Area D.
The removal of the subsoil in Tr22 revealed a series of parallel bands of mid-grey, mid-brown
and dark brown soils filling an archaeological feature which ran west to east across the centre
of the trench. The feature was excavated for a distance of 3.40m (Fig 15). This showed that its
maximum dimensions were 2.00m wide and 1.15m deep. The sections of the feature showed
that it was formed by a series of re-cuts of the Iron Age enclosure ditch (Fig 16).
The earliest phase of ditch within the feature was cut [413]. This formed the north edge of the
feature which sloped down at approximately 45 degrees for a distance of 1.40m. At the
bottom of this edge there was a curved break of slope. The base of the cut than ran south at a
shallow angle for a further 0.40m before curving to run upwards for 0.20m. Cut [413] was
represented by three surviving fills, (450) (452) and (442). The upper fill (450) was a loose
light to mid-grey silty sand. On the surface this showed as a 0.35m band running east to west
across Tr22. On excavation it was seen to be a 0.20m thick fill running down the top 0.90m of
the north edge of [413]. Immediately below was fill (452) a firm mottled mid orange/brown
silty clay. Fill (452) was 0.34m thick and ran downwards at an angle from below (450) on the
north side of cut [413] to the surviving portion of the south side of cut [413].
The primary fill of cut [413] was fill (442). This was a compact light grey silty clay. Fill (442)
was 0.10m thick and covered the base and bottom 0.32m of the north edge of cut [413]. Fill
(442) contained a single fragment of flat sandstone.
The next event in the series of ditches is cut [465]. Like cut [413] only the north edge of this
cut survives. In size and profile it closely mirrored the shape of cut [413]. Two fills of this cut
survived. The upper fill, (449), was a friable light grey silty clay, 0.47m deep, which ran
down the top half of the north edge of the cut for 0.68m. Below this was fill (451) a firm light
brownish grey silty clay. Fill (451) survived to a depth of 0.39m and a width of 0.29m deep, it
appeared to be the primary fill of [465] and ran horizontally across the cut.
The latest re cut in the series was cut [466]. This survived as a 0.89m wide and 0.34m deep
cut seen cutting through fills (449) and (451) of cut [465] and fill (452) of cut [413]. The
angle of the north edge of this cut was slightly steeper than the previous two however the
curved break of slope and flat base was very similar. It would seem that cut [465] respected
the south edge of the original ditch cut. Cut [466] contained a single fill of (419). This was a
compact light greyish blue clay.
September 2004 31
The latest phase of activity associated with the enclosure ditch is represented by a series of
fills (414) (446) (453) and (448). These seem to relate to the period after the ditch had
permanently fallen out of use. Fill (414) was a firm dark brown silty sand, 0.89m wide and
0.28m deep. The interface between (414) and the surrounding fills beneath it (453) (448) and
(446) contained large flat slabs of stone averaging c0.15m in length and 20mm thick. These
stones were infrequent and did not appear in any apparent order. Located below was (446) a
loose mid reddish brown sandy silt, 0.17m wide, 0.18m deep. (453) a compact reddish brown
silty sand, 0.89m wide, 0.28m deep. The earliest of this group of fills was (448), a mid-brown
sandy silt, 0.52m wide, 0.24m deep.
In addition to the enclosure ditch a number of other features were identified within the trench
(Fig15). These included a series of small postholes, all five were identified within the western
limits of the trench and half sectioned.
Posthole [445] was cut into the top of the outer enclosure ditch [413]. It was circular in form,
measuring 0.24m wide, 0.28m long and 0.16m deep. It contained a single fill , (463), a friable,
mid-brown silty sand.
Posthole’s [428] and [430] were very alike in size and shape to [445]. Both were filled with a
mid brown silty sand. Postholes [434] and [432] were more irregular in shape and shallower
than the others although their fills were virtually identical.
The location of the five postholes indicate the possibility of them being related. Postholes
[445], [428], [432], and [430] can all be identified within a north south alignment. No origin
or structure can be identified due to the limitations of the trench; further excavation to the
west could provide further clues. If the postholes are related then their construction can be
dated to after the ditch [413] was backfilled.
Immediately below (412) an irregular shaped pit was identified [436]. Undulating and
irregular edges, sloping towards a flat base, the pit was quarter sectioned, excavating the north
west and south east quadrants. Measuring 2.08m long and 1.11m wide and 0.38m deep. The
sole fill was (437), a friable, mid-brown silty sand.
Discussion
The surviving fills of cut [413] were confined mainly to the north side and base of the feature.
As a result it is not possible to be certain about the width of this original cut. However from
the angle of fill (452) and from the small portion of cut [413] which survives on the south side
of the feature it seems reasonable to suppose that the south edge of the ditch as seen in Tr22
also corresponds with this first phase of ditch cut. It would seem then that the re-cuts were
confined within the original boundaries of the ditch and in the case of [464] and [466] shared
a common southern edge with the original cut. Speculation on the size and shape of cut [465]
is more tentative as nothing survives of its south edge. However as the north slope and base of
[465] follow closely that of [413] it does not seem unreasonable to assume that it to shared the
same south edge as the other cuts. This would give rise to a situation were the south edge of
September 2004 32

September 2004 33

September 2004 34
the ditch was maintaining its original line while the north edge was creeping south. It might be
that fill (414) is a result of deliberate infilling in order to level out the ground to allow the
land to be ploughed. However as no dating evidence was recovered from the fills of cut [413]
it is not possible to be precise about the timescale of these events.
A pollen assessment was carried out on environmental samples taken from several fills of the
ditch cuts (Appendix 6). Two of these samples, from (442) and (449) were taken to full
analysis. The report from Durham University Archaeological Services concludes “The pollen
indicates the presence of mixed deciduous woodland dominated by hazel. There also appears
to have been a nearby wet meadow and open body of water. The cereal- type pollen and
associated weeds indicate a mixed farming economy.”
It would appear that the series of re-cuts were part of a process designed to maintain the
effectiveness of the enclosure ditch. This can perhaps be best illustrated by cut [466]. A
situation could be imagined when after a number of years through erosion and silting fills
(449) and (451) had filled up the ditch represented by cut [465] to a point where it barely
functioned as either a drainage channel, stock enclosure or boundary ditch. The decision was
than taken to dig out enough of these fills to restore the ditch; the result was the excavation of
cut [466] which in time itself became filled in with (419).
4.7 Trial Trenches 3, 4, and 5
While in itself Tr22 provided further valuable information about the nature of the enclosure
ditch one of its main purposes was to provide a guideline for excavations within the ‘Ale
House’ track way designed to locate the line of the ditch beyond Area B. To this end the
topsoil and subsoil were machine stripped from three trial trenches within the track way
(Fig 3).
Trial trench 3 was excavated in a direct line east of Tr22. It ran north to south for 5.0m
parallel to and 1.50m west of the east wall of the track way. Trial trench 4 was 6.0m long and
1.6m wide. It was excavated east to west across the track way, the west end of the trench
finishing 0.80m away from the west wall of the track way. Trial trenches 3 and 4 were linked
and together formed an L shape. The purpose of these two trenches was to see if the enclosure
ditch continued straight east or started to turn to the south.. The removal of topsoil and subsoil
in trial trench 3 revealed the natural boulder clay with a 1.75m wide band of mid-grey brown
silt sand running east to west across the trench in a direct line with the enclosure ditch in
Tr22. A possible feature was also located within trial trench 4. In this trench natural bedrock
was exposed. In the west end of the trench one edge of what seemed to be a band of orange
grey silt was seen running roughly north west to south east was observed.
The proximity of the west wall of the track way to the edge of trial trench 4 prohibited any
further machine work at that location. Trial trench 5 was a stepped trench measuring 6.30m
east to west and 3.0m north to south. Based on a projected line it was positioned 10.0m to the
south of trial trench 4 with the purpose of trying to get a further view of the feature observed
September 2004 35
in trial trench 4. A further task of this trench was to see if the enclosure ditch turned sharply
from Tr22 to run south following the line of the track way. Apart from a field drain running
north to south in the west step of the trench no archaeological features were seen in trial
trench 5.
Discussion
The band of silt seen in trial trench 3 was a clear target for a potential continuation of the
enclosure ditch. The potential feature seen in trial trench 4 could indicate a curve of the ditch
to the south east within the track way. However if this was the case it might be expected that it
would have shown up in trial trench 5. It is possible that it changes its alignment between trial
trenches 4 and 5 to run between the two trenches. Trench 5 showed that if the enclosure ditch
turns sharply to run along the track way it must be beneath one of the track way walls. Given
the evidence from the trial trenches it was decided to record 4 and 5 without carrying out any
excavation and to concentrate resources on trial trench 3. Therefore trial trench 3 was
extended and excavated as Trench 24
4.8 Trench 24
Investigation of the feature in Tr24 revealed a ditch cut very similar in dimensions and profile
to that found in Tr22. The primary ditch cut, [444], was excavated along a 4.20m long section
to reveal a width of 1.80m and a depth of 1.29m (Fig 18). The sides sloped at approximately
45 degrees to a curved base. As in Tr22 the ditch in Tr24 was initially cut into natural boulder
clay. However in Tr24 the depth of boulder clay was only c0.70m which meant that the lower
half of [444] was cut through sandstone bedrock.
The primary fill of cut [444] was (454) a thin band of dark red silty sand lying against the
bottom of the south edge of the cut (Fig 19). Above (454) was (443). This was a loose and wet
light reddish brown silty clay, 0.79m wide and 0.23m deep. It is possible that these two fills
represent natural silting into the ditch during its lifetime. Above fill (443) was (456) a thin
lens of light brown sandy silt confined to mid point of the north edge of cut [444]. Above fill
(456) and, extending across the full width of the ditch to cover fill’s (454) and (443) as well,
was fill (455). This was a distinctive layer of blue grey silt clay 0.25m deep. Apart from it’s
distinctive colour fill (455) was also characterised by a spread of large sandstone fragments
which mark the boundary between (455) and (443) below. The stones may have eroded out
from the exposed natural sandstone layers which form the lower halves of the sides of the
ditch in Tr24. However this was a far more extensive spread of stones than fill (414) in Tr22.
It may be the case that they represent an early phase of deliberate backfilling into the ditch.
Above (455) are two thin layers, fills (457) and (458). These seem to represent the
accumulation of material into the ditch through natural process. The accumulated depth of this
material suggests that this took place after the ditch had fallen out of use. The final sequence
of in-filling within cut [444] was represented by fills (459) and (460). These were light brown
and mid-brown sandy silts and as with fill (414) in Tr22 probably represent a deliberate
backfilling of the ditch. No dating evidence was recovered from any of the fills of cut [444].
September 2004 36
Discussion
As with previous excavations across the enclosure ditch particular attention was paid to trying
to identify any evidence of a rampart or bank associated with the ditch. The situation was
hampered in Tr24 by the proximity of the dry stone walls of the track way and the rubble and
stone spreads associated with them. As with previous trenches the only indication that there
may once have been a bank came from the backfill of the ditch. It seems unlikely that the soil
representing fills (459) and (460) would have been brought any great distance in order to level
up the ditch. More likely is that these represent the remnant of a bank which has simply been
pushed into the ditch. Another interesting fill is layer of stones at the base of (414). Although
they may simply have eroded out of the exposed sandstone in the sides of the ditch another
possibility is that they were originally part of a bank.
One of the most interesting aspects of Tr24 were the waterlogged conditions encountered
during excavation. This can partly be attributed to seepage from a modern field drain which
cuts through the ditch in Tr22. Tr24 was the lowest point at which the enclosure ditch has
been excavated and after rainfall water would stand in the excavated ditch for several days
while the ditch in Tr24 would be dry. The series of ditch re cuts seen in Tr22 were not as
apparent in Tr24. It is possible that fills (455) and (456) and again (457), (458) and (459)
represent fills of re-cuts. However if this is the case the re-cut ditch in Tr24 would be
shallower than in Tr24. This would seem unlikely if the ditch had to act as a stock enclosure
were a certain overall depth would presumably be required along the entire ditch in order for it
to function effectively. However, if the ditch was not required to fulfill this role and instead it
acted as a boundary marker then a consistent depth would not be as important. Furthermore if
as part of its function the enclosure ditch acted as a drainage channel then the prime
requirement would be to maintain a downhill gradient along the ditch. This could lead to a
situation were only certain sections of the ditch may have required re-cutting in order to
maintain flow The enclosure ditch does angle down hill across Area B. It may be that as the
ditch up hill from Tr22 was cut through bedrock it required less maintenance. The more
mobile boulder clay of Tr22 may have caused greater silting up, removing the required
gradient for drainage. This would have required continual cleaning and re-cutting. However as
long as the flow of water was maintained between Tr22 and Tr24 the silting up of areas would
be tolerated.

September 2004 37

September 2004 38

September 2004 39
4.9 Trial Trenches 8 - 15
Trench 22, the trial trenches in the track way and Tr24 had been successful in tracing the line
of the enclosure ditch east beyond Area B. Towards the end of the summer season the
opportunity arose to carry out a rapid evaluation in Area D (Fig 21). This was before re-
seeding of the field. The evaluation took the form of machine stripping the topsoil and subsoil
from eight trenches and recording any potential archaeological features exposed within them
(Fig 3). Time constraints did not allow for the excavation of any of the potential features. The
idea was to try and pick up the line of the enclosure ditch within Area D. The trenches were
excavated north to south across a projected line of the enclosure ditch. Most were 1.6m wide
and they varied in length between 5.0m and 7.5m. In total eight trenches were stripped over a
120m line. The first trial trench was excavated eight metres east of the eastern wall of the
track way and was positioned by aligning it with ranging roads placed in the excavated ditch
in Tr22 and Tr24. The first trial trench, (8), was excavated 6.5m to the east of the east wall of
the track way. Subsequent spacing between trenches was 6.44m; 2.79m; 7.86m; 12.85m;
46.27m and 34.61m. The eighth trench was excavated 30m to the south of the overall
alignment on an anomaly detected by dowsing. The same method was used to align all the
trenches however the distances involved soon made it impossible to refer back to Tr22 and
Tr24 and so ranging rods were placed within the preceding trial trenches.
Trial trench 8 revealed a 1.4m wide band of mid brown sand silt, (800), running east to west
across the trench on an alignment with the ditch in Tr24 and Tr22. Context (800) was generic
number given to a similar soil seen in each of the trial trenches. This material was cut by a
field drain running south west to north east. Trial trench 9 also revealed (800) running west to
east. However in this trench it was narrower, c0.6m and as the trench was fully opened it was
seen that the east end of the context finished in a curved terminus (Fig 22). Trial trench 10
was excavated only 2.5m to the east in an attempt to re establish the line of (800). Initially in
the west side of trial trench 10 it was there was no indication of (800). However as the trench
progressed it was seen to contain a mirror image of the situation in trial trench 9. In all a 3.5m
long by 1.3m wide stretch of (800) was exposed running from the east section of the trench
and ending in a curved terminus. Up until now the line of (800) had followed a fairly straight
easterly projection from Tr22 and Tr24. Machine work on trial trench 11 had to extend
slightly further to the north than its predecessors before (800) was revealed (Fig 23). In this
trench it was again recognised as a 1.4m wide band of mid brown sand silt running west to
east across the trench. Trial trench 12 also required a slightly more northerly position from
trench 11 before (800) was fully revealed. After trial trench 12 the farmers re seeding
operation had almost caught up with the evaluation trenches. It was therefore decided to
greatly increase the distance between trenches. Trial trench 13 was located 46.27m to the east
of trial trench 12. Trial trench 13 revealed a context very similar to (800) running east to west
across the trench. In all the previous trial trenches it had appeared that the geological surface
was boulder clay very similar to Tr22 and Tr24. The geology in trial trench 13 contained more
sandstone including what seemed to be a line of stones running along the south boundary
between (800) and the natural. The final trench along this line was trial trench 14 which
revealed very similar geology to 13 with a 1.70m band of (800) running across it west to east.

September 2004 40

September 2004 41
Trial trenches 13 and 14 continued the northerly ‘slant’ first encountered in trial trench 11.
Trial trench 15 was excavated some 30m to the north of the line of the other trenches. It was
positioned on the basis of dowsing results. The trench revealed an area of disturbed sandstone
which lay above the natural boulder clay. Without excavation it is impossible to determine the
nature of this deposit.
Discussion
The trial trenches in Area D should really be looked at in two groups. The first five trenches,
although not evenly spaced, cover a distance of only 35m from Tr24 and the east wall of the
track way. In terms of an archaeological assessment this represents reasonable coverage
especially given the proximity of the trial trenches to their reference points of Tr22 and Tr24.
Given the alignment and the comparable surface dimensions to the ditch cut in Tr22 and Tr24
it is reasonable to assume that in trial trenches 8 to 12, context (800) represents the top fill of
the Iron Age enclosure ditch. However, as no excavation took place in the trial trenches there
clearly has to be a note of caution in this interpretation. The distance of trenches 13 and 14
both from each other and other reference points makes the association of (800) in either of
these trenches with its presence in any of the others tenuous. Nevertheless it is the case that a
linear soil variation was clearly visible in both of these trenches.
As mentioned above the line of (800) in trial trenches 11 and 12 does begin to angle
northwards towards Mellor Old Hall suggesting the possibility that (800) represents a
landscape feature associated with the hall. One aspect of (800) in trial trenches 8 to 12 is that
it corresponds roughly to the 215m (377') contour line. This is on relatively flat ground some
30m to the south of the 210m contour which represents the sharp break of slope on the
hillside. If (800) does represent the fill of the enclosure ditch, given that (800) does not seem
to follow a discernable break of slope and the lack of modern surveying equipment, then why
would the Iron Age excavators set the line of the ditch towards the point where Mellor Old
Hall now stands rather than continuing east in a straight line? It might be something as simple
as trying to enclose the maximum amount of flat land as possible. To continue directly east
from Tr22 and Tr24 would have meant beginning to run up hill. Perhaps the management of a
drainage system required that the ditch continued to run down hill across Area D. Although it
is impossible to say at the moment how deep (800) is it would not have been difficult for the
Iron Age community to excavate a ditch with a gradient to allow drainage. Of particular
interest is the possible entrance way represented by the termini found in trial trenches 9 and
10. It is after trial trench 10 that the northward angle begins. Perhaps the two are connected
with drainage water from the east side of the entrance being channelled down slope lessening
the likelihood of flooding.
The interpretation of context (800) as the enclosure ditch in trial trenches 8 to 12 would
suggest that the Iron Age community were managing a landscape rather than confining
themselves to an area at the west end of the hill. Such management is usually identified by a
multitude of ditches of various sizes and lengths creating barriers and enclosing different areas
of the landscape. If this is the case it does not exclude the possibility that there is an arm of the
September 2004 42
enclosure ditch which curves north and east across Area D as suggested by our early
interpretation of the line of the enclosure ditch. Trial trenching and geophysics now suggest
that if such a ditch exists it will curve some distance into Area D. Perhaps the area around the
entrance in trial trenches 9 and 10 is the point the curve takes place with one arm running
towards Mellor Old Hall and another turning north east.
If context (800) does represent the continuation of the Iron Age enclosure ditch in Area D then
the implications for our interpretation of the settlement at Mellor are enormous. It would mean
that during the Iron Age a much larger portion of the hilltop would have been looked upon as
part of the ‘managed’ area of the settlement than we had previously anticipated. This would
have clear ramifications for any assessment of population levels, scale of agriculture and the
presence of industrial processes. In wider terms it would effect how we consider Mellor fitted
in to the regional Iron Age community in social, political and economic terms.

September 2004 43
5. Conclusions
Individually each trench of the 2003 season of excavation succeeded in its objectives and
contributed significantly to our understanding of the nature of the settlement on the hilltop at
Mellor. Furthermore the excavations at Mellor are now reaping the benefit from the
implementation of coherent strategy of evaluation begun by the Mellor Archaeological Trust
and UMAU nine years ago. This strategy means that the results from any individual trench
excavated in any year do not stand alone. They will form part of a group of trenches excavated
over several years designed to gradually provide insight on specific questions about the
history of settlement on the hilltop around the Old Vicarage.
Perhaps the success of this strategy is best illustrated by the series of trenches excavated in the
centre of the Old Vicarage garden since 1999. The combined results of these trenches now
offer clear evidence that at least one Iron Age roundhouse stood in this area. Evidence from
previous years tells us that the nature of the occupation changed with the roundhouse gullies
being cut through by later features. Amongst these were linear stone lined gullies. However
the close proximity of the radio-carbon dates from two sets of gullies suggests that this was a
planned and managed change within the Iron Age settlement at Mellor rather than a hiatus.
However other features and finds relating to the roundhouse gullies show that this part of the
hilltop was occupied during other periods. In 1999 and 2002 a shallow ditch was seen to cut
through the roundhouse gullies. This was picked up again in 2003 as cut [353]. The extent,
alignment and the presence of Roman pottery in its fill hint at a Roman date for its excavation
even if its function is unclear. Going further back in time the number of mesolithic flint
flakes recovered from a discreet area within Tr3 and Tr21 seem to prove conclusively that this
was a favoured seasonal site for the hunter gatherers of 10,000 years ago. With the suggestion
that this was a specialised area comes the possibility that other mesolithic sites devoted to
different functions occupy other parts of the hilltop.
This long term strategy of evaluation now means that the information gathered from the
various groups of trenches is beginning to overlap thus providing new possible interpretations
of the site. One example of this is the evidence from geophysical survey and excavation
around Tr18 and the results from trenches 3, 16, 21 and 23. The discovery that the anomaly
detected by geophysics and excavated in Tr18 was a large ditch comparable to that found in
Tr1 at the opposite end of Area A raises the possibility that there are two ditches around the
hilltop at Mellor. The size of the ditch sections in Tr1 and Tr18, especially if there is an
associated palisade, suggest that their original excavation was at least partly motivated by a
desire to provide a defence for part of the hill top. The projected line of this ditch system
would enclose Area A where the evidence of Iron Age roundhouses has been found. Perhaps
the purpose of the ditch was to enclose and protect the areas of human occupation. If
contemporary then the ditch found in Area B and projected into Area D could be looked upon
as an outer enclosure ditch perhaps with a combined function as stock enclosure, drainage
ditch and boundary marker. It is intended to open up a large trench in Area C as the focus of
the 2004 season. It is hoped that this will provide information relevant to the interpretation of

September 2004 44
all the previous years groups of trenches. In particular it is designed to see if the ditch found
in Tr18 curves west through this area towards Tr1. In addition if there are two ditches
surrounding the hilltop at Mellor it will provide a look at the nature of occupation in this inter
ditch zone. It will be especially interesting to see if this area of boulder clay reflects the high
level of archaeological activity found around Tr16.

September 2004 45

Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2003

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Archaeological Excavation at Mellor. 2003

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Report on the 2003 season of

archaeological excavation at Mellor

Non Technical Summary 2

3. Aims and Methodology 7

4.2 Trial trenches 6 and 7 18

4.7 Trial trenches 3; 4 and 5 35

4.9 Trial trenches 8 to 15 40

Mellor - its archaeological context and future by Norman Redhead

Appendix 1 Conservation Report

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

Non Technical Summary

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

1.1 Archaeological Background 1995-2002

1.2 Community Involvement

In 1999 the Mellor Archaeological Trust was set up to :-

Organise displays, educational activities, or other means of bringing information on the

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

2. The Physical Setting

Fig 2: Site Location plan based on Ordnance Survey 1:10,000.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

3. Aims and Methodology

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

Fig 3: Mellor archaeological evaluation 1998 - 2003. Trench location plan.

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

In 2000, a geophysical survey undertaken by Geoquest associates identified a linear anomaly

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

The ditch fills (Fig 5) were as follows :-

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

4.2 Trial Trenches 6 and 7

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

4.7 Trial Trenches 3, 4, and 5

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

4.9 Trial Trenches 8 - 15

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

University of Manchester Archaeological Unit

You might also like