SDO18960 - Valley of the Stones, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation Report

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to undertake an archaeological evaluation for development comprising of a cable installation to allow overhead line removal on two connected routes in order to implement a landscape improvement project. The monitored works were located between NGR 358804,086786 – 359006,087730 and 358855, 086638 – 359360, 088210 and ran for approximately 2.5 km. The evaluation was undertaken15-23 August 2022. The evaluation consisted of nine trenches measuring c. 15 m by 1.9 m being excavated and recorded. A tenth trench could not be excavated due to the identification of Japanese Knotweed within its vicinity. The archaeological evaluation established that archaeological features were present in trenches 1 and 2 in the north of the scheme. The shallow ditch within trench 1 was not dated, its NW–SE alignment parallel with the road to the north may suggest it formed a trackside ditch to an earlier road. Trench 2 contained a large pit and WNW – ESE aligned ditch, both features contained Late prehistoric pottery and worked flint suggesting they are broadly contemporary. The environmental assessment noted cereal remains, arable weed species, monocotyledon stems and heather-type stems all indicative of fuel debris resulting from the burning of heathy vegetation. The ditch within trench 2 may have formed part of the enclosure (NHLE 1016912) to the north of the scheme or may be associated with the extensive prehistoric field systems (NHLE 1002431) evident across the area. Trenches 4–10 were targeted on possible ditches that formed parts of the known prehistoric field system; however they did not identify any archaeological features or deposits.’