Monument record MDO20314 - Fosters School, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne; Middle-Late Bronze Age pottery production in Area 2

An open area excavation at the former Foster's School playing field, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne was conducted by Exeter Archaeology during 2002 in advance of development for housing. This revealed extensive evidence for pottery production dating from the middle to late Bronze Age. This included clay extraction terraces; areas of burning protected from prevailing winds by wind breaks or fences; pit clusters back filled with burnt limestone and pottery wasters; other large pits for the storage of clay or water; and five-post structures used as workshops or pottery stores. The production occurred in three distinct zones arranged around a central spread of burnt stone and dumped pottery groups.The Middle-late Bronze Age pottery assemblage is one of the largest ever recovered.

Exeter Archaeology conducted an open area excavation at the site of the former Foster's School playing field, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne during the summer and autumn of 2002 in advance of development for housing. A draft report has been written for future inclusion within the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society [1]. The excavation followed on from an earlier evaluation and survey on the same site conducted during 1998 [2][3]

The site was excavated in three main areas, Area 2 was located in the central part of the site in an area of Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age activity identified during the earlier evaluation. It was also located over a small natural coombe, within which colluvium had accumulated protecting the prehistoric deposits from later ploughing. Area 2 was further subdivided into areas 2a and 2b; the northern and southern parts of the area respectively.

The excavation revealed extensive evidence for pottery production dating from the middle to late Bronze Age. The production occurred in three distinct zones within area 2, arranged around a central spread of burnt stone and dumped pottery groups.The first zone included clay extraction terraces [2047] and [2664] in the northern part of area 2a, at the head of the natural coombe. To the south of the terraces a possible fence or windbreak, structure [S2], was constructed in order to protect an area of burning [2660] from prevailing winds. The burnt layer, probably representing the site of a bonfire for firing pots, was overlain by a dump layer [2400] containing large amounts of pottery wasters.

A second pottery production zone occurred in the NW part of area 2. This area was bounded on the north east by a pair of gullies [576] and [588] that may have supported hurdles, and on the north west side by a post-hole alignment probably representing a fence, structure [S3]. Again these fences protected two areas of bonfire firing from the prevailing winds. These burnt areas were surrounded by a large number of pits of various shapes and sizes. Some of the larger ones may have been for storing water or pottery, others may have been dug as quarries and later back filled with heat affected limestone and pottery wasters.

A third pottery production zone was excavated in area 2b, in the south east part of the coombe. This was a smaller area but was divisible into two distinct phases of production. Both phases comprised a five post rectangular structure [S4] and [S6], possibly used as a workshop or for drying pottery prior to firing. Both of these structures were located to the north of two associated fences, structures [S5] and [S7] respectively. These were probably windbreaks, although no burnt layers survived in this zone. A number of pits were also excavated in this area.

The pottery production was dated by radiocarbon to date from 1140 +/- 80 cal BC to 940 +/- 60 cal BC. The duration of production is estimated to be 1 to 220 years at 95% probability. The Middle-late Bronze Age pottery assemblage is one of the largest ever recovered during an excavation. [1]

<1> Best, J, 2008, A Late Bronze Age Pottery Production Site and Settlement at Foster's Field, Tinney's Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10587.

<2> Valentin, J , Chandler, J and Geophysical Surveys of Bradford, 1995, The archaeological assessment and evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10359.

<3> Valentin, J, 1995, Further archaeological evaluation of land adjacent to the former Foster’s School, Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10361.

Record last edited

Jul 8 2008 12:52PM