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Summary

Beaker pit excavated as part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline which was altered at this location to avoid the southern edge of an extant barrow. The pit, 0.78 metres diameter and 0.14 metres deep, lay immediately south of the barrow. The fill of the pit contained 52 sherds of a beaker decorated all over with closely set impressed cord (AOC), the first of its kind to be found in Devon or Cornwall. There were no conjoining sherds, which were all abraded. There were also no rim sherds and only part of the base and it is likely that only part of the vessel was buried. It is suggested that the pit marks a significant locale which was later chosen for the site of a barrow in the Early Bronze Age.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PIT (LANEBA to Early Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 2000 BC (Between))

Full description

Booth, P., 2008, Roman Britain in 2007. Sites Explored, 325 (Article in Serial). SDV361740.

Summary of excavation that occurred adjacent to a bowl barrow. Prehistoric satellite cremation burials were found.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume I Text, 58-9, 127-8 (Report - non-specific). SDV347992.

Site FTC24.02/24.03/24.04. Pit excavated as part of a programme of archaeological works along the route of a gas pipeline. The route was altered here to avoid the southern edge of an extant bowl barrow. The pit (24.03.060) which lay immediately south of the barrow was 0.78 metres wide and 0.14 metres deep. Its primary fill contained 40 sherds of All Over Cord (AOC) decorated Beaker pottery, the secondary fill contained 8 sherds and the upper fill 13 sherds. All the sherds come from the same vessel.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume II Illustrations, Fig. 63 (Report - non-specific). SDV347993.

Joyce, S. + Mudd, A. + Collard, M., 2010, South-West Reinforcement Project, Ottery St Mary to Aylesbeare, Aylesbeare to Kenn, Fishacre to Choakford Gas Pipelines, Devon: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design Issue 2: Volume III Site Gazetteer, FTC24.03 (Report - non-specific). SDV347994.

Mudd, A. + Joyce, S., 2014, The Archaeology of the South-West Reinforcement Gas Pipeline, Devon. Investigations in 2005-2007, 24, 25, 51-52 (Monograph). SDV359340.

Site 31. Springfield, Ugborough. Most of the archaeological remains within this site relate to the Roman period but a single pit containing Beaker pottery was also found. The pit was 0.78 metres diameter and 0.14 metres deep. The primary fill contained 40 sherds of AOC decorated Beaker pottery, the secondary fill 8 sherds and the upper fill 4 sherds, all from the same vessel. There were no conjoining sherds and all the sherds were abraded. Although a proportion of the pit had been lost through later truncation, it is likely that only some sherds from the vessel had been buried, a frequent practice in Devon. This is the first recorded instance of an AOC Beaker to be found in Devon or Cornwall and as such it is of regional significance. There were no associated artefacts and no opportunity to provide independent dating of the beaker which is, therefore, only broadly dated c2500-2000BC. It is suggested that the pit marks a significant locale later chosen for the building of the barrow in the Early Bronze Age.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6205 - BEAKER (LANEBA to Early Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 2000 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV4375 - Fishacre to Lyneham Pipeline Assessment
• EDV4391 - Fishacre to Lyneham Fieldwalking Survey
• EDV5431 - Geophysical Survey on Gas Pipeline, Fishacre to Choakford
• EDV5439 - Archaeological Investigations Along Gas Pipeline, South-West Reinforcement Project

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