SDO21163 - Land North of Oakley Lane, Wimborne, Dorset: Post-excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design

‘Summary Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by CALA Homes (Thames) Ltd to undertake an archaeological strip, map and sample excavation on land north of Oakley Lane, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 1SF. The work was carried out as a condition of planning permission related to a residential development. The overall development area comprises 26.1 hectares, which had previously been investigated by geophysical survey and trial trench evaluation. These earlier surveys identified seven areas of archaeological potential (‘Areas 1–7’; 1.77 hectares in total) which were examined by the strip, map and sample excavation. The combined results of the excavation and earlier surveys reveal that the site contained a variety of archaeological remains from a range of periods, including Neolithic and Bronze Age pits, funerary remains of probable prehistoric date, a trace amount of Iron Age/Romano-British and medieval pottery and post-medieval field boundaries. Areas 1, 5 and Area 6 were the most archaeologically fruitful: Work in Area 1 exposed two segmented ring ditches and a nearby linear ditch, all broadly datable to the prehistoric period, along with eight pits of the same general date, or undated. Within Area 5 were fourteen Neolithic pits, four Bronze Age pits, eight other pits and a gully broadly datable to the prehistoric period and a variety of undated features. Area 6 contained three Bronze Age pits and a variety of linear and discrete features datable only to the prehistoric period generally, amongst whose number were a grave containing an unurned cremation burial and a nearby pit that included redeposited pyre debris. Three post-medieval field boundary ditches and a group of undated discrete features were also recorded in Area 6. Remains were sparser in the other areas, and comprised: Area 2: an undated ditch; Area 3: a small number of undated minor linear and discrete features; Area 4: post-medieval ditches and an undated pit and gully terminal; and Area 7: an undated posthole (already recorded during the earlier evaluation). Finds amounting to 23.13 kg were recovered from Areas 1–7, the majority dating to the prehistoric period. The pottery provides the primary dating evidence and includes material of Neolithic through to post-medieval date, with a Late Neolithic and Bronze Age focus. The worked flint assemblage (469 pieces, 5.32 kg) derives largely from Areas 5 and 6, where much came from pits of prehistoric date, including examples securely dated to both the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. Large quantities of burnt flint were also recovered from similar pits, mostly in Area 5, and one example containing in situ burning may have functioned as a hearth. Other finds (fired clay, post-medieval brick, copper alloy and iron fragments – most featureless and of uncertain purpose – are of less archaeological potential). A significant assemblage of environmental evidence, including charred plant remains (including hazel nutshell and crab apple remains) and wood charcoal, has been recovered from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age pits. This post-excavation assessment describes the archaeological results and considers how the results of the investigations contribute to the project's original archaeological research aims, and states the potential of the archive overall to contribute to published research questions. An updated project design sets out proposed steps to realise this potential by analysing the excavated material and disseminating the results, leading to the final deposition of the archive at Poole Museum.’