SDO20902 - Land off Common Mead Lane, Gillingham, Dorset: Post-excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by RPS Consulting Services Ltd to undertake an archaeological excavation on a 2,000 m² parcel of land located at land off Common Mead Lane, Gillingham, Dorset. The excavation area was centred on NGR 379650 125984, and the fieldwork was carried out between 17–28 October 2022. The archaeological work was undertaken in association with an outline planning application (P/OUT/2021/04019) for the construction of up to 80 dwellings, vehicular access, open space and other associated infrastructure. The excavation was preceded by a desk-based assessment, heritage impact assessment, geophysical survey and trial trench evaluation. During the archaeological excavation a total of 23 features were uncovered and investigated, and comprise pits, postholes and possible postholes. Most were undated but eight contained artefacts dating from the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age to Early Iron Age periods. The earliest evidence for human activity at the site dates to the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age and was represented by two sherds of joining Beaker pottery from a posthole located towards the north western corner of the site. The posthole was situated within a group of postholes and pits that date to the later prehistoric period, probably the Early Iron Age. The Beaker pottery was abraded and may be residual within the posthole, but nevertheless provides evidence for activity during the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age. The wider group of postholes and pits, spread across a 11 m by 8 m area, comprised 11 postholes, and a pit, two natural features were also investigated. Two of the postholes contained Early Iron Age pottery while a pit and posthole produced broadly later prehistoric pottery likely dating to the same period. A tentative arc of potholes (5.5 m diameter), with a possible south-eastern facing structure, comprising four postholes, could be suggested, if a feature recorded as natural was of archaeological origin. Although little confidence can be attached to this putative structure due to shallow and possibly truncated nature of the features. Three pits situated towards the south-western area of the site are contemporary, while a somewhat isolated posthole towards the north-eastern corner of the excavated area contained only broadly dated later prehistoric pottery but is considered to be of similar phase, representing further Early Iron Age activity. Elsewhere, shallow natural features, probably tree-throw holes were investigated. No further evidence of features found in evaluation trenches 8 and 10 were identified, although the group of postholes and pits were located in relatively close proximity, possibly representing further elements of small scale occupation activity from the Early Iron Age period.‘