SDO21052 - Area 2, Hurn Quarry, Hurn, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Land and Mineral Management Ltd, on behalf of New Milton Sand and Ballast Ltd, to undertake an archaeological evaluation of a 13 ha parcel of land located immediately north of Parley Lane (B3073), Hurn, Christchurch, centred on NGR 412233 097201. The evaluation revealed the presence of archaeological features in the centre and west of Area 2, no features were identified in the east of the area. The vast majority of features uncovered by the evaluation were ditches, with only four pits found. The works provided no conclusive evidence regarding settlement activity, the features followed a coaxial arrangement consistent with their being part of a field system. The evaluation dated the pits (Trench 13) and two ditches (Trench 17) to the Middle - Late Iron Age, with residual material from the Late Neolithic. The majority of features investigated remained of uncertain date. The data produced by the geophysical survey suggested that the area would contain an extensive field system with occupation activity, and whilst it appears a field system was present, the results of the evaluation correlates very little with the geophysical anomalies identified by the survey. A number of additional features not identified by the geophysical survey, typically ditches, were also recorded indicating that the geophysical survey may not be wholly reliable in this instance. The lack of discrete features and small quantity of finds recovered from the linear features indicates the area had a primarily agricultural function. The cluster of four pits in trench 13 may suggest settlement activity in the area, though without further investigation this cannot be confirmed.’