Monument record MDO28579 - Iron Age spade cultivation marks, Nursery Garden, Hengistbury Head

A large number of spade marks in regular rows and possibly dating to the Early Iron Age were found during excavations in the Nursery Garden, Hengistbury Head in 1984, indicating the existence of Iron Age spade tillage in this part of Hengistbury Head.

Nearly 200 spade marks were found during excavations in the Nursery Gardens, Hengistbury Head in 1984. The marks were elongated triangular features 100-150mm in length with a V- or U-shaped section. They were arranged into at least thirty regular rows and were thought to have been dug from the southwest to the northeast. They were covered by a cultivation soil. Examination of the stratigraphy and finds suggests they are most likely to be Early Iron Age in date. (1)

These spade marks were re-examined in 1997 and recorded in greater detail and it was possible to record them from further up the soil profile but essentially they confirmed the earlier description and interpretation. Profile inversion indicators were noted suggesting the spade mark horizon displays a kind of 'double digging'. (2)

<1> Cunliffe, B, 1987, Hengistbury Head, Dorset. 1: The Prehistoric and Roman Settlement, 3500BC- AD500, Excavations at Crouch Hill, 1921, 1969. in Oxford University Committee for Archaeology monograph series Vol no.13 Page(s) 40-7, 128-134 (Monograph). SWX4038.

<2> Lewis H A, 2001, Excavation and micromorphological investigations of ancient tilled soils at Hengistbury Head Site 6 (Dragonfly Ponds), Christchurch, Dorset (Unpublished document). SWX8631.

Record last edited

Dec 23 2024 3:40PM