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Summary

A pit containing sherds of Beaker pottery and lithic pieces was recorded during a community excavation project on land to the west of Dark Lane.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PIT (Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 4000 BC (Between) to 1501 BC (Between))

Full description

Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L., 2020, Thorverton Community Archaeology Project: Prehistoric Settlement in the Exe valley (Report - Excavation). SDV364561.

Following a trench evaluation in 2017 on land off Dark Lane which found evidence for prehistoric occupation of the site a community excavation project led by AC Archaeology was carried out in 2019. The excavation targeted two areas. Area 1 covered the area of the earlier evaluation and Area 2 the site of a possible ring ditch identified as an anomaly in a geophysical survey.
Pit F1003 was recorded in the western corner of of Area 1. It was 0.9m diameter and 0.55m deep with steep sides and a flat base. Five sherds of beaker pottery and 17 lithic pieces were recovered from the fills of the pit and a palaeoenvironmental sample was found to contain fragments of hazelnut shell, perhaps only representing half a shell, and hazel and oak charcoal.

Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L., 2021, A Middle Neolithic Settlement, Beaker Pit and Late Bronze Age Ringwork at Dark Lane, Thorverton, Mid Devon, 29, 36, 48; Fig 4a, 4d, 12; Table 7 (Article in Serial). SDV364873.

Pit F1003 contained five sherds of Beaker pottery from four vessels, including a rim sherd (P4) with comb stamped geometric design in gabbroic Fabric 4. The character of this sherd, its size and quality of decoration, suggests it belongs with one of the classic Beaker groups, probably necked. The other three vessels were in Fabric 1. This is the first Beaker pottery to be recognised in the lower Exe Valley. The nearest site with Beaker material is 12 miles away at Cranbrook. The gabbroic fabric of P4 is unique in Devon and almost certainly the oblt gabbroic Beaker to be found outside Cornwall.
This pit, along with a thumbnail scraper from the evaluation phase, supports the conclusion that there was Early Bronze Age settlement on the site.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV364561	Report - Excavation: Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L.. 2020. Thorverton Community Archaeology Project: Prehistoric Settlement in the Exe valley. AC Archaeology. ACD1858/1/0. Digital. [Mapped feature: #136977 ]
	Linked documents:1
SDV364873	Article in Serial: Rainbird, P. + Vinnels, L.. 2021. A Middle Neolithic Settlement, Beaker Pit and Late Bronze Age Ringwork at Dark Lane, Thorverton, Mid Devon. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 79. Paperback Volume. 29, 36, 48; Fig 4a, 4d, 12; Table 7.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV7853 - SHERD (LANEBA to Early Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 1501 BC)

Associated Events

• EDV8786 - Excavation on land off Dark Lane, Thorverton (Ref: ACD1858/1/0)

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